New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- Rhode Island has sued Meta Platforms over allegations that the company allowed widespread scam advertisements on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp while profiting from them, despite assuring users that it was working to protect them.

The lawsuit was filed by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha in Providence Superior Court on Thursday. It accuses Meta of unlawfully benefiting from and participating in the creation of billions of dollars in scam advertising across its platforms.

The case marks the first scam-related lawsuit against Meta by a US state. It follows a similar legal action filed in May by Santa Clara County in California.

The complaint seeks civil monetary penalties for each alleged violation of R...