The Italian media watchdog, AGCOM, has imposed a fine of $1.5 million on social network X (formerly Twitter) for breaching regulations on gambling advertising. The fine comes as a result of nine identified violations, each associated with different accounts on the platform, all of which had verified blue checkmarks indicating the authenticity of the users' personal data.
The violations pertained to the dissemination of advertisements promoting gambling and betting websites offering cash prizes. Despite the investigation and subsequent penalties, the platform only removed seven of the identified accounts, with access to the remaining two being blocked under AGCOM's orders. The regulatory agency has prohibited the publication of such content on social networks.
Italy strictly prohibits gambling advertising across various mediums, including television, radio, the internet, and social media platforms. This enforcement action follows previous fines imposed by AGCOM on other social networks and streaming platforms, including YouTube and Twitch, totaling $3.42 million for hosting approximately 20,000 videos related to gambling activities in December 2023.
