Meta Hosts Nearly 80% Of Violative Digital Ads In FY26, Says ASCI
ASCI found that over 97% of violative advertisements in FY26 appeared on digital platforms, with Meta accounting for nearly 80% of such ads.
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The Advertising Standards Council of India has seen a sharp spike in the number of advertising violations in FY26, with digital platforms contributing to more than 97% of the total non-compliant advertisements reviewed during the year.
In its annual report, the self-regulatory body ASCI said it reviewed 11,581 ads in FY26, a 21% increase over the previous fiscal.
Of the 9,611 ads found in violation of ASCI’s advertising code, 97.36% were found on digital platforms, 2.04% on television and just 0.26% on print media, according to a report by The Hindu.
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Meta Dominates Violations:
The largest contributor of violative advertisements among digital platforms was Meta, accounting for 79.84% of all non-compliant digital campaigns evaluated by ASCI.
In contrast, Google, which owns its video platform YouTube, made up 3.59% of violative digital ads.
More than 13% of the digital ads in breach of advertising guidelines were found on websites.
The most problematic category was offshore betting, with 6,933 cases flagged throughout the year despite ongoing regulatory action against the sector.
Real estate sector was the worst offender with 643 violative advertisements followed by personal care with 576 cases.
ASCI said 93% of the advertisements it examined in FY26 were picked up by its own monitoring systems and not on the basis of complaints received from consumers.
The self-regulatory body said 98% of the ads it examined were in need of correction or amendment.
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The report finds that 75% of all problematic advertisements are for products or services that are harmful, and 27% have misleading or dishonest representations that could possibly mislead consumers.
Commenting on the findings, ASCI Chairman Sudhanshu Vats said the advertising ecosystem is witnessing a growing trend of exaggerated claims, manufactured scientific credibility and influencer-led amplification.
“We are seeing a growing tendency toward exaggerated claims, manufactured scientific credibility, influencer-led amplification and the normalisation of non-compliance as a post-publication correction exercise,” Vats said.
The complaints and monitoring data are a reflection of an advertising scene that is increasingly dominated by intense competition, speed and digital amplification, he said.
