Home / Crime and Justice / Meta Accused of Ignoring Illegal Gambling Ads
Meta Accused of Ignoring Illegal Gambling Ads
20 Jan
Summary
- UK regulator questions Meta's commitment to blocking illegal gambling ads.
- Meta's policy requires licensed gambling ads, but searches found unlisted sites.
- Regulator suggests Meta might intentionally ignore illegal advertisers.
The UK Gambling Commission has publicly criticized Meta, accusing the social media giant of ignoring advertisements from illegal gambling websites on its platforms. Tim Miller, the commission's Executive Director, expressed skepticism about Meta's assertions that they only remove illegal ads upon notification, suggesting this approach is disingenuous.
Miller highlighted that Meta's internal policy mandates that gambling advertisements must originate from licensed operators. However, the commission found that basic searches could easily identify advertisers not registered with GamStop, a crucial UK licensing requirement, indicating a potential failure in Meta's enforcement.
This situation raises questions about Meta's commitment to combating illicit online gambling. The UK regulator implied that Meta might be choosing to overlook illegal advertising, continuing to profit from such content until prompted to act, which reflects poorly on the company's ethical stance.
