Brazil’s AG Office Gives Meta 48 Hours to Remove Illegal Gambling Ads

The Office of the Attorney General of the Union (AGU) has issued an extrajudicial notice to Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, demanding the removal of illegal advertisements from profiles promoting unauthorized online betting and gambling services in Brazil.

Meta Given 48 Hours by the Brazilian Attorney General’s Office to Remove Illegal Gambling Ads

In the notice, the AGU states that Brazilian law (Law No. 14,970/2023 and SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1,207/2024) mandates that fixed-odds betting, including online betting and gambling, can only be conducted with prior authorization from the Ministry of Finance. Consequently, companies lacking this authorization are operating unlawfully, making the promotion of their services and applications illegal as well. Typically, authorized websites are required to use the “.bet.br” domain, for instance.

A review of Meta’s ads library revealed hundreds of active advertisements from profiles that fail to comply with Brazilian legal requirements. In the notice, the AGU demands that Meta remove the illegal advertisements within 48 hours and refrain from boosting any content linked to companies not authorized by the Ministry of Finance and regulatory agencies to offer online betting and gambling services.

Speaking of boosted content, the AGU’s document also highlights a recent ruling by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) regarding the constitutionality of Article 19 of the Brazilian Internet Bill of Rights (Marco Civil da Internet). The court determined that digital platforms are presumed responsible for illegal content in paid ads and boosted posts, and in such cases, companies must demonstrate that they acted promptly and diligently to remove the content.

Other Regulators Have Also Scrutinized Meta for Its Gambling Ads

Interestingly, the AGU’s decision comes just about a month after Meta defined a former stance on gambling advertisements. The company outlined new rules for the showing of gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram, as it has been continuously blasted for allegedly turning a blind eye and allowing unregulated gambling ads to circulate freely on its platforms.

Meta has faced similar issues in Asia in recent months when it comes to controversies regarding gambling advertisements on its platforms. One hiccup even included a missed scheduled inquiry in India related to a money laundering investigation involving digital ads for unauthorized gambling platforms. Fortunately for the company, it took stronger measures in the Philippines by removing Facebook pages of influencers promoting illegal online gambling, including well-known figures such as Sachzna Laparan, a popular influencer with more than 4 million followers on Instagram.

But Asia and South America aren’t the only continents on which Meta has faced scrutiny for its gambling advertisement content. For example, recently, Romania has also asked Meta to block illegal gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram in order to protect users from illegal and potentially harmful gambling content.