India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned executives from tech giants Google and Meta to its headquarters in New Delhi as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering involving online betting applications, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Reuters.
Authorities are examining whether the platforms contributed to the distribution of betting apps through paid advertisements. The meeting with company representatives is scheduled for July 21 in the Indian capital.
Investigators are focusing on whether Google and Meta violated government directives that prohibit the promotion of any form of gambling. Despite these guidelines, the companies may have continued to facilitate the visibility of such services on their platforms.
The ED is also probing the financial gains these platforms may have received from advertising betting-related content. It aims to determine whether there was any direct support for the dissemination of such applications.
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a directive back in 2022, warning broadcasters and digital media about the significant financial and socio-economic risks posed by gambling, particularly to young people and children.
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