Google, Meta summoned again by ED in online betting money laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has once again summoned global tech giants Google and Meta, directing their representatives to appear before it on July 28 in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged illegal online betting operations and related money laundering activities.

The move comes after both companies failed to appear for a scheduled hearing earlier, citing the need for more time to compile and submit relevant documentation. According to ED officials, the firms had been expected to present records pertaining to advertisement revenues, client relationships, and content placement algorithms related to the betting platforms under scrutiny.

The ED’s investigation is centered on suspicions that several online betting apps — already under the agency’s scanner — were actively promoted through paid digital advertisements hosted on Google and Meta’s platforms. Authorities believe that the tech platforms may have inadvertently facilitated the growth of these illegal operations by not adequately screening ad content or advertisers, thereby enabling monetisation and wider reach.

Officials said the companies have now been ordered to appear without fail on July 28 and bring with them all relevant documents, including internal communications, business contracts, and financial data related to the advertisers in question.

The probe is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and encompasses a wide range of entities, including app developers, payment facilitators, hawala networks, media houses, and celebrity endorsers who promoted betting platforms. Investigators are reportedly following digital financial trails that could potentially expose how proceeds from these illegal operations were laundered through digital advertising revenue streams.

This development is part of a larger crackdown that began when the ED uncovered evidence of foreign betting operations targeting Indian users through domestic digital platforms. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had earlier issued multiple advisories warning online platforms, including Google and Meta, against carrying advertisements for betting and gambling apps — warnings that allegedly went unheeded.

Despite the growing pressure, neither Google nor Meta has issued an official statement in response to the ED’s summons or clarified their role in the matter.

The upcoming appearance on July 28 is being seen as a significant moment in the investigation. Sources within the ED suggest that the agency will probe whether these tech companies had any prior knowledge or reasonable means of identifying that their ad platforms were being used to promote illegal betting operations. More crucially, the ED is expected to examine if lapses in their ad approval and compliance mechanisms resulted in unlawful financial gains.

With regulatory oversight tightening and legal liabilities mounting, the ED’s actions could potentially set a precedent for how digital advertising and platform responsibility are governed in India, especially in high-risk sectors like online gambling.

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