Digital media drives 97% of ad violations in April-Sept: ASCI report

ASCI's half-yearly report for FY26 shows most ad violations came from digital platforms-led by Meta, websites, and Google-with betting and personal care ads topping the list

Digital media continued to see the most advertisement violations, with 97.24 per cent of ads violating rules or guidelines, according to the Advertising Standards Council of India’s (ASCI) Half-Yearly Complaints Report (2025-26).

 

Within the digital segment, Meta’s platforms led with 78.96 per cent violations, followed by websites at 13.75 per cent and Google at 4.59 per cent.

 

In terms of sectors, offshore and illegal betting advertisements topped the list for violations in advertisements, with 4,578 cases flagged, according to the report. 

 

Overall, ASCI looked at 6,841 complaints and scrutinised 6,117 advertisements for potential ASCI code violations in the April-September period.

   

Complaints from consumers, industry and consumer organisations (betting ads) also rose to 407 during the period from 306 in April-September 2024, “reflecting growing awareness and engagement in ad self-regulation”.

 

This comes after the government of India recently implemented the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which banned ads on betting and real money games. 

 

Between April and September 2025, ASCI saw a 70 per cent rise in complaints and a 102 per cent increase in advertisements reviewed for potential violations, driven by stronger surveillance and public vigilance. 

 

However, this monitoring showcased the widespread presence of offshore or illegal betting sites that are accessible to Indian consumers in violation of this Act, the advertising regulatory body added.

 

“The widespread exposure to betting ads despite the ban, as well as the disappointing standards set by top influencers, are some challenges that have come to the fore in our recent work,” Manisha Kapoor, chief executive officer (CEO) and secretary general of ASCI, said in a statement. 

 

However, ASCI also noted a “strong increase” in uncontested cases, as well as in rates of voluntary compliance, underscoring its growing role as the first line of defence, the report said. 

 

Sectors like illegal betting, personal care, healthcare, food and beverage, and education accounted for 90 per cent ad violations. The personal care category recorded the highest number of misleading ads, as well as most uncontested cases, it stated.

 

About 64 per cent of ads were promptly modified or withdrawn following ASCI’s intimation in this segment. In the health care segment, around 81.6 per cent ads violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act 1954.

 

“Out of the 1,173 advertisements processed for influencers' violations, 98 per cent required modification. While 30.6 per cent promptly made corrections to their posts, 59 per cent were found to be promoting products that are disallowed by law,” the report stated.

 

This comes at a time when brands and advertisers are actively tapping into influencers for better reach and authenticity. The report highlighted that, as per ASCI’s study on Forbes India’s Top 100 Digital Stars 2024 (who collectively have a following of over 110 million), 76 per cent of these influencers failed to disclose paid collaborations, compared to 69 per cent in the same period last year.