Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate has summoned tech giants Google and Meta in connection with its investigation into online betting apps, marking a high-stakes escalation in the ongoing money laundering probe.
Both companies have been directed to appear on July 21. The ED alleges that platforms led by Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg provided paid visibility and premium ad space to betting apps now under scrutiny for serious financial violations, including hawala operations.
Officials claim that by enabling ads and SEO access, Google and Meta directly amplified illegal gambling platforms, helping them reach mass audiences despite regulatory grey areas.
The probe has already drawn several influencers and celebrities into its dragnet for promoting the same apps. The ED is now turning its attention to the digital infrastructure and ad ecosystems that enabled their scale.
This is the first time India’s central enforcement agency has pulled global tech majors into the dock over ad policies linked to financial crime.
