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Google and Meta: After politicians and actors, now Google and Facebook are on ED's radar, why did tech giants get summons? Know here..

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent notices to tech giants Google and Meta for promoting illegal online betting apps. These companies have been summoned for questioning on July 21. The ED says that these platforms gave prominent advertising spaces to betting apps and made their websites a medium for their services, thereby promoting illegal activities. This investigation is related to serious financial crimes like money laundering and hawala transactions.

Last week, the ED took action against 29 celebrities. These include actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Manchu Lakshmi, and Ananya Nagella. Apart from this, the names of TV actors, hosts, and social media influencers like Srimukhi, Shyamala, Varshini Soundararajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shobha Shetty, Amrita Choudhary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padmavati, Harsha Sai, and Bayya Sunny Yadav are also under investigation. They are accused of promoting platforms like Junglee Rummy, A23, Jeetwin, Parimatch, and Lotus365, which are involved in money laundering.

ED is investigating a large network of online betting apps. Many apps are promoting illegal betting by calling themselves 'skill-based games'. Crores of rupees of illegal earnings were made through these platforms, which were hidden through hawala channels to avoid investigation. ED has alleged that the advertisements of these apps were prominently displayed on the platforms of Google and Meta, which increased their user base.

Five FIRs registered in Telangana and Andhra
This investigation is being conducted under the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED started this action on the basis of five FIRs registered in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

In March, Cyberabad police also registered a case against several celebrities, including Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, and Prakash Raj for promoting illegal betting apps. However, these celebrities clarified that they were not promoting any illegal app. The ED is now investigating all these cases thoroughly and is preparing to take strict action against the culprits.

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