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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has called senior officials from Meta and Google to meet on July 21. This is part of an inquiry into money laundering connected to illegal online gambling sites. The call to appear, issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), is to understand how these illegal gambling sites managed to advertise on significant digital platforms, like social media and app stores.
The ED is looking at how these operations manage to promote themselves online even though they are illegal. The investigation focuses on how Google Ads online gambling content appears and how ads are placed by tech companies, and if they did enough to check advertisers properly. Meta and Google officials are expected to explain their platform rules and measures to stop such activities.
Illegal gambling ads raise regulatory concerns
Authorities claim that online betting sites used tricks to cheat users, launder large amounts of money, and avoid paying taxes. The ED is planning to call in celebrities and well-known people who might have supported or advertised these sites.
This investigation could lead to tighter rules and changes in policies for the tech companies involved. Regulatory agencies are demanding more control over digital ads, especially for financial and gambling PPC content. The results might change how platforms approve ads, particularly in regions with changing digital laws.
Meta faces scrutiny over Kannada translation error
Separately, Meta has come under fire for an auto-translation bug on its platforms that led to misinformation about Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. A condolence message written by the Chief Minister in Kannada was inaccurately translated into English, suggesting his own death rather than the intended tribute to actress B Saroja Devi. Following public confusion and criticism, Meta acknowledged the error and corrected the bug responsible for the mistranslation. In response, the Chief Minister’s media advisor urged the platform to suspend its Kannada auto-translate feature until its reliability improves. Meta was also asked to engage with regional language experts to avoid similar issues in the future.
The mistranslation incident has further intensified calls for greater oversight of automated tools on digital platforms, especially when miscommunication can have far-reaching consequences.
