Digital Media Has 97% of Violative Ads in FY26; Meta Alone Takes 80%, Asci Says

• 97.36% of 9,611 violative ads were digital; Meta (Facebook/Instagram) had 79.84%, Google/YouTube just 3.59%

• Offshore betting led with 6,933 cases, followed by realty (643) and personal care (576) despite regulations

• 75% ads promoted harmful products, 27% misled consumers; Asci chairman calls for stronger accountability and influencer responsibility

The new-age digital media is home to over 97% of violative ads in FY26, and online giant Meta alone contributed nearly four-fifths of such problematic campaigns, Asci said on Thursday.

There were a total of 9,611 ads, which were found to be in violation, of which 97.36% were carried on digital platforms and 2.04% on TV and 0.26% on print media, according to the Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci).

Among the ads found to be violative on the digital platforms, 79.84% were carried on Meta, which runs popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram, while Google, which runs YouTube, had just 3.59% of the violative ads, the self-regulatory body said.

Websites had a share of over 13% in digital ads found to be in violation of Asci's codes, as per its annual report.

The 2025-26 financial year witnessed a 21% jump in the number of ads reviewed by Asci to 11,581, with campaigns from offshore betting and realty sectors being the most violative, the sector's self regulatory body said on Thursday.

Despite regulatory interventions, offshore betting was the most violative sector with a bulk 6,933 cases, and was followed by realty at 643 and personal care at 576 cases, it said.

The SRO said 93% of the ads reviewed came from its own monitoring and added that 98% had to be modified.

A bulk 75% of the overall ads promoted harmful products and 27% lacked honest representation to mislead consumers, it said.

"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," the body's chairman Sudhanshu Vats said.

He added that the complaints data is the reflection of an advertising ecosystem that is being reshaped by intense competition, speed and digital amplification.

There is an "urgent need" for stronger accountability, better substantiation standards, responsible influencer practices and preventive approaches to governance in digital advertising, he added.