Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued Advisory on advertisement of Illegal Activities

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Advisory, issued as per Consumer Protection Act, 2019, emphasizes on prohibition of advertising, promotion, and endorsement of unlawful activities prohibited under various laws.

Reasons for advisory: Increasing instances of direct as well as surrogate advertisement and endorsements of activities considered illegal such as betting or gambling.

Key highlights of the advisory
- Any advertisement or endorsement of activities which are otherwise prohibited by law, including but not limited to betting or gambling, shall be subject to rigorous scrutiny.
- In cases of violations, stringent measures will be initiated against involved, including manufacturers, advertisers, publishers, intermediaries, social media platforms, endorsers, etc.
- Highlights Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, which prohibit advertisements of products or services prohibited under any prevailing law.

Status of Betting and Gambling in India
- It is a State subject under Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
  - Listed as Entry 34 and Entry 62 (for the purpose of taxation) of the State List.
  - Based on erstwhile Public Gambling Act, 1867, most State Governments have enacted their own laws to deal with betting and gambling within their jurisdictions.
  - In 2023, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting issued advisory on advertisements including surrogate advertisements of Online Betting Platforms.

Statutory body under Section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act 2019
Objective: To promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class.
Composition: Chief Commissioner and such number of other Commissioners as may be prescribed.
Powers and functions: Conduct investigations into violation of consumer rights and institute complaints / prosecution, order recall of unsafe goods and services, etc.