Order cites rule requiring Ministry of Finance license for operators.
Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office (AGU) has given Meta—owner of Instagram and Facebook — 48 hours to remove illegal advertisements posted by online betting and gaming accounts not authorized to operate in the country. The out-of-court notice was sent to the company on Wednesday (13) by the National Attorney’s Office for the Defense of Democracy (PNDD).
According to the AGU, Meta’s paid ad library contains “hundreds of results” from companies not regulated under Brazilian law.
The action is based on Ordinance No. 1207, issued in July 2024, which requires fixed-odds betting companies to obtain a license from the Ministry of Finance after meeting a series of requirements. Without this authorization, the companies are considered illegal in Brazil, and any advertising of their services is also deemed unlawful by the AGU. The agency says such firms may be linked to “tax evasion, money laundering, consumer fraud, and other illegal practices.”
In addition to removing the ads, the AGU is demanding that Meta refrain from boosting any future posts from unauthorized betting and gaming companies.
In July this year, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ruled that digital platforms can be held liable for hosting illegal content in their channels when it involves paid ads or boosted posts. The decision upheld the constitutionality of Article 19 of Brazil’s Internet Civil Framework, which requires platforms to prove they acted “diligently and within a reasonable time to make the content unavailable.”
Valor contacted Meta to ask how it moderates paid promotions and removes ads from unauthorized operators in Brazil, and how long the process usually takes.
In a statement, Meta said its policies “allow advertisers to promote games and gambling online in jurisdictions where they are licensed or legally permitted.” It added that it has “stepped up efforts to detect potential violations” and that when such cases are identified, it takes “appropriate action, including rejecting or removing ads and limiting the account’s ability to advertise.”
In the notice, the AGU stated that Meta “still has shortcomings that need to be addressed.” Asked what might happen if Meta fails to comply with the 48-hour deadline, the AGU said the company “may be held liable, as provided by law, if it does not take all necessary measures to remove the illegal advertising.”
*banned and designated as extremist in Russia
Source: Valor International
