The Indian central government has issued a second summons to tech giants Google and Meta as part of an ongoing investigation into the rise of illegal online gambling advertisements on their platforms.
The summons demands that the companies provide a clearer explanation of the measures they are taking to prevent these ads from reaching users in India.
The latest request was issued jointly by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Indian officials have expressed growing concern that unregulated gambling ads are targeting vulnerable groups and minors, often promoting a false narrative of easy wealth.
Regulators also noted that some advertisers are bypassing content filters by using regional languages to push their promotions.
This renewed pressure comes after regulators were left unsatisfied with the companies’ previous responses.
Both Google and Meta have stated that they work to comply with local laws and have systems in place to remove illegal ad content, but Indian officials believe these measures are not effective enough.
A senior government official commented that the continued appearance of such ads points to a “systemic issue,” and that digital platforms must be held accountable for the content they distribute.
The Indian government has also suggested it may draft stricter digital advertising guidelines, with a specific focus on real-money gaming.
This move puts increased pressure on global tech firms to enforce their ad policies more rigorously in the rapidly growing Indian market
