Offshore betting and real estate top ad violations in ASCI's 2024-25 report
Advertising Standards Council of India
's (ASCI) Annual Complaints Report.
The self-regulatory body reviewed 9,599 complaints and examined 7,199 advertisements over the course of the year. Offshore betting accounted for 43.5% of all the violative ads last fiscal, followed by real estate at 24.9%. Together, these sectors made up more than two-thirds (68%) of total violations, the report said.
They were joined by personal care (5.7%), healthcare (5.23%), and food and beverages (4.69%) as the top five violating sectors.
ASCI monitors advertising violations across brands, platforms, and influencers, working closely with the Department of Consumer Affairs to promote truthful and lawful advertising.
"This year has been one of meaningful collaboration," said Manisha Kapoor, CEO and secretary general of ASCI. "We expanded our efforts to address key areas such as offshore betting and real estate, which involve high-impact violations."
Betting is illegal in India, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has directed all publishers to avoid carrying advertisements from offshore betting platforms.
Industry-wide compliance with ASCI guidelines stood at 83%, with television and print media showing a higher adherence rate of 98%.
Digital media accounted for 94.4% of the ads flagged for violations, while traditional media contributed a relatively small share. Influencer-related violations made up 14% of the total ads reviewed. The report noted that 79% of digital ad violations occurred on Meta platforms, followed by other websites, Google, property portals, and LinkedIn.
ASCI reported a significant improvement in complaint resolution efficiency during 2024-25, with the average turnaround time reduced to 16 days-a 46% improvement over the previous year. This was largely driven by the higher proportion of uncontested claims and enhanced processing systems.
Of the scrutinised ads, 98% required some form of modification.
Notably, 59% of the investigated ads were uncontested and were either withdrawn or modified by advertisers.
Most violations stemmed from misleading claims due to lack of honest representation and promotion of harmful products or depictions of dangerous situations, the report said.
A total of 3,347 ads fell under categories that are legally prohibited from advertising, including offshore betting, alcohol branding, and unauthorised forex trading apps, which are banned by the Reserve Bank of India.
Additionally, 233 ads potentially violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act. ASCI reviewed 1,015 influencer ads during the year, with 98% requiring modifications.
On LinkedIn alone, 121 violations were identified, largely due to professionals failing to disclose paid partnerships.
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