Latest news with #AnnualComplaintsReport
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Offshore betting and real estate top ad violations in ASCI's 2024-25 report
Offshore betting and real estate emerged as the most non-compliant sectors in advertising during 2024-25, according to the 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 Notably, 59% of the investigated ads were uncontested and were either withdrawn or modified by advertisers.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.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Offshore betting ads top complaints to ASCI in 2024–25
Advertisements promoting offshore betting and gambling platforms constituted the largest share of complaints received by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) in 2024–25, the self-regulatory body said in its Annual Complaints Report. Of the 7,078 advertisements reviewed by ASCI, 43.52% — or over 3,000 — were related to offshore betting and gambling. These platforms, routinely banned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, have witnessed rapid proliferation online, prompting concerns among stakeholders in the real money gaming (RMG) sector. 'ASCI has been escalating advertisements that are prohibited by law to appropriate regulators for appropriate action,' the report noted. The number of such advertisements increased from 2,707 in 2023–24 to 3,347 in the past year. These include promotions related to betting and gambling, prohibited drugs making magic health claims, alcohol, and tobacco. The volume of gambling-related advertisements has more than doubled, ASCI said, 'from 1,311 the previous year to 3,081 cases this year.' Several of these were flagged in collaboration with RMG industry associations, which established a 'special monitoring unit' in January 2025 to aid detection. ASCI also reported continued cooperation with sector-specific regulators. A similar monitoring arrangement with MahaRERA, Maharashtra's real estate regulatory authority, resulted in the identification of 1,755 non-compliant advertisements in the real estate sector. The second-largest category of flagged advertisements was submitted to the Ministry of AYUSH under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. ASCI reported 233 ads promoting products as miracle cures in violation of the Act. 'Twenty-one ads directly promoting alcoholic beverages on social media were reported to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting,' the report added. Influencer marketing also remained a significant area of concern. ASCI said it investigated 1,015 ads by influencers over the year. 'Out of 100 influencer posts reviewed, only 29% had proper disclosures, while 2% cases were dismissed due to evidence of no material connection,' the body said. 'Alarmingly, 69% violated disclosure norms, with 56.8% lacking disclosure labels entirely and 43.2% having disclosures improperly placed within hashtags.' While 59 influencers agreed to corrections voluntarily, five complied after jury recommendations. Another five influencers (7%) were escalated to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for continued non-compliance. The fashion and lifestyle (27.5%), telecom products (21.7%), and personal care (13%) sectors accounted for 62% of all influencer-related violations, ASCI said.
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Business Standard
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Ads for banned products up 24% in FY25; offshore betting dominates: ASCI
The number of advertisements (ads) for products or services prohibited by law has increased by 23.6 per cent to 3,347 in 2024-25, and a large chunk of the ads was from offshore, illegal betting platforms, according to the Annual Complaints Report released by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Ads for products or services prohibited by law stood at 2,707 in the 2023-24 period. Out of these 3,347 ads, 3,081 were from offshore, illegal betting platforms. These 3,081 ads included 318 that pertained to influencers promoting such platforms. On the other hand, 233 ads potentially violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act; 21 promoted alcohol brands; and 12 ads promoted unauthorised forex trading apps banned by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). ASCI has been escalating these ads that are prohibited by law to regulators for appropriate action, it said in its report. With this, offshore betting and realty sectors emerge as the most violative ones as ads in these segments flagged by consumers rose to 83 per cent in the 2024-25 period. Overall, ASCI looked into 9,599 complaints and scrutinised 7,199 as. In this, 98 per cent of scrutinised ads required some form of modification. The offshore betting segment contributed 43 per cent of cases while the realty sector accounted for 24.9 per cent of cases, ASCI said in a release. 'This year has been one of meaningful collaborations as we expanded our efforts to address critical areas like offshore betting or gambling and real estate violations, which are high-impact violations,' said Manisha Kapoor, chief executive officer (CEO) and secretary general of ASCI, in a statement. The realty sector was followed by ads in the personal-care segment, contributing 5.7 per cent of cases, healthcare at 5.23 per cent, and food and beverage segment accounting for 4.69 per cent of the cases. Additionally, influencer violations contributed to 14 per cent of the ads processed, the report added. 'The rise in public complaints — and more importantly, how many advertisers chose to quietly comply — says a lot about where trust still lives,' said Partha Sinha, chairman, ASCI. Out of the 1,015 influencer ads investigated by ASCI, the ones in the illegal betting segment were highest at 31.4 per cent, followed by fashion and lifestyle at 16.2 per cent. 'ASCI's continued efforts have resulted in 83 per cent overall compliance, with TV and print showing near-perfect adherence (of ads) at 98 per cent,' the release said.
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Business Standard
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Offshore betting, real estate top ad violations in ASCI's 2024-25 report
Offshore betting platforms and real estate advertisements have emerged as the biggest violators in India's advertising landscape, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) revealed in its Annual Complaints Report for 2024-25. In a year that saw an 83 per cent surge in ads flagged by consumers, a staggering 98 per cent of all scrutinised ads required modifications, the report said. The self-regulatory watchdog processed 9,599 complaints and examined 7,199 advertisements over the past year. Offshore betting alone accounted for 43 per cent of all cases, followed by real estate at 24.9 per cent, personal care (5.7 per cent), healthcare (5.23 per cent), and food and beverage (4.69 per cent). In total, 3,081 ads of illegal offshore betting platforms were flagged, 318 of them promoted by social media influencers. These ads, along with others for unauthorised forex trading apps, alcohol, and magic remedies, fall under categories explicitly prohibited by law. Adding to concerns, 47.5 per cent of the total ads were found to promote harmful products or situations, while 56 per cent were deemed misleading. Influencer violations surge; LinkedIn also under scanner Influencer marketing came under tighter scrutiny this year, with ASCI investigating 1,015 influencer-led promotions. Nearly all (98 per cent) were found non-compliant with advertising disclosure norms. Notably, 121 of these violations occurred on LinkedIn, where professionals failed to mark paid partnerships clearly. This prompted ASCI to issue a targeted advisory aimed at ensuring transparency on the career-oriented platform. Influencer violations now account for 14 per cent of the ads processed by ASCI, underscoring the challenges of regulating brand endorsements in the age of algorithmic virality. Digital platforms far more non-compliant than TV or print Meanwhile, a staggering 94.4 per cent of the violative ads emerged from digital platforms, while TV and print trailed far behind at 2.6 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively. The watchdog noted that 89 per cent of the ads were flagged through its own proactive monitoring, while complaints from external sources, including the general public, accounted for the remaining 11 per cent. Still, the public's role in holding advertisers accountable is growing, it said. Complaints from consumers jumped by over 83 per cent compared to the previous year. ASCI sees faster turnaround, high compliance with advisories ASCI also claimed a 46 per cent improvement in its average complaint resolution turnaround time, now down to 16 days. This acceleration was largely due to the growing number of advertisers (59 per cent) who chose to voluntarily withdraw or modify their ads when contacted. Overall, compliance with ASCI advisories stood at 83 per cent, with television and print media clocking near-perfect adherence at 98 per cent. The organisation credited this to streamlined processes and a significant drop in contested claims.
Mint
7 days ago
- Business
- Mint
From skincare to smartphones: Ads by Apple, Mamaearth, L'Oreal under scrutiny
Can you trust your favourite brand and the claims it makes? Recent findings from India's Advertising Standards Council (ASCI) suggest you might want to take a closer look. In its 2024–25 Annual Complaints Report, which reviewed over 9,500 advertisements, the self-regulatory body flagged dozens of misleading or non-compliant ads from some of India's biggest consumer brands—including Mamaearth, L'Oréal India, Apple India, and Hindustan Unilever—raising fresh questions about the integrity of digital advertising in India's booming consumer market. Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd., the parent company of beauty brand Mamaearth, saw 29 of 31 ads flagged for violations. Fusion Cosmeceutics, which markets Dr Sheth's products, had all five of its ads pulled up, while Lotus Herbals also saw all five of its ads deemed non-compliant. L'Oréal India and Apple India weren't far behind, with 24 of 26 and 16 of 19 ads requiring modification, respectively. Hindustan Unilever had 15 of 21 ads flagged. ASCI processed 9,563 ads this year, up from 8,229 the year before. Of those reviewed in FY25, 98% required some form of modification—unchanged from last year's violation rate. Instagram emerged as the largest source of problematic ads, reflecting the platform's popularity and looser regulatory controls compared to traditional media. "Unlike Instagram or other social media platforms, we've noticed that television violations are really low now and so are print, as both of these are strongly regulated and they act as a deterrent so definitely having legal backstops or legal backing helps," said Manisha Kapoor, CEO and secretary general of ASCI, speaking to Mint. Kapoor stressed the responsibility of beauty and healthcare companies to implement internal compliance mechanisms. 'Eventually, this is content that's being paid for and or authorised by them. Better internal controls and clearer guidance for influencers on compliance could go a long way," she said. Mint reached out to nearly a dozen companies named in the report but did not receive comments by the time of publication. Continuing a persistent trend, betting and real estate ads led the violation charts. Offshore gambling promotions surged 135% year-on-year, jumping from 1,311 flagged ads in FY24 to 3,081 this year. Many betting operators are based outside India, complicating enforcement efforts, Kapoor said. The council has escalated prohibited advertisements, including those falsely claiming health benefits from drugs, as well as alcohol and tobacco ads, to government authorities for further action. Among gaming platforms, Zupee, operated by Cashgrail Pvt. Ltd and known for games like Ludo, had all 12 ads reviewed found in violation. Offshore betting companies MostBet, Winmatch, and 4Rabet topped the list with thousands of ads flagged. Other major names such as Melbet, 1XBet, and Parimatch were repeatedly cited. 'Betting companies keep coming up with alternate websites…The government is becoming serious about acting on these issues, but since many companies are based outside India, enforcement through self-regulation has limits,' Kapoor said. She also noted that Instagram remains the platform with the most violations, adding that 'even on LinkedIn, influencers now fall under the law — you can't have a material connection and not disclose it.' ASCI also examined influencer marketing, reviewing 100 posts and finding over two-thirds failed to clearly disclose paid promotions. Disclosures were often hidden in hashtags or omitted altogether, undermining transparency. While many influencers corrected flagged posts, some non-compliance cases were escalated to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Kapoor said ASCI has reduced its average turnaround time to address flagged ads to 16 days. Many advertisers now comply quickly, with a significant increase in uncontested claims, meaning ads are often taken down or corrected before formal escalation. The council noted that nearly all violations are detected through its own digital monitoring tools rather than public complaints.
