ED Summons Google and Meta After Summons to 29 Celebrities and Influencers

The summons requires Google and Meta to appear for questioning on 21 July. Read the full story to know.

Enforcement Directorate Summons Google and Meta: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summons to Google and Meta (Facebook) on Saturday. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into illegal online betting apps. The summons requires Google and Meta to appear for questioning on 21 July. This also involves 29 celebrities, including Vijay Deverakonda and Prakash Raj.

ED Summons Google and Meta

The ED states that Google and Meta provided platforms to display and promote online betting apps currently under investigation for serious offences like money laundering and hawala transactions. This significantly increased the reach and popularity of these apps, facilitating illegal operations nationwide.

ED Claims Stars Earned Significant Money Promoting Apps

Consequently, the ED has filed a case against 29 celebrities and social media influencers. This includes prominent actors such as Prakash Raj, Rana Daggubati, and Vijay Deverakonda. They are accused of earning substantial sums through the promotion of these apps.

Betting Apps Masquerading as ‘Skill-Based Gaming Platforms’

The ED’s investigation reveals that these betting apps present themselves as ‘skill-based gaming platforms’ while facilitating illegal gambling. These platforms generated crores of rupees in illicit earnings, which were then transferred out of the country through hawala channels. The Mahadev app scam is estimated to be over ₹6,000 crore. Several Bollywood celebrities have already been questioned in this case.