Meta clarifies speculation on allowing alcohol and gambling ads, says email wasn't precise

The spokesperson said that rules are always meant to respect the laws of each country.

On August 20, 2024, Meta announced that from August 27, 2024, it will showcase advertisements from alcohol and real money gambling verticals in India, Asia Pacific (APAC), and Latin America (LATAM).

The announcement left the digital industry in shock, raising questions about how it might affect public health, industry trends, and consumers behaviour.

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Amid the anticipatory discussions among industry experts regarding its application, feedback, and concerns, Meta issued a formal statement to clarify all doubts.

The company's spokesperson said that rules are always meant to respect the laws of each country and Meta's official guidelines are always written carefully to match local laws.

"When we set business policies for our service, we respect local laws, and therefore certain business messaging or other types of communication are not going to be allowed in certain countries, including India. The referenced communication lacked that precision that is reflected in our formal policies and documents," the spokesperson said.