Most of India's top influencers not disclosing commercial tie-ups: ASCI

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on Tuesday said 76 per cent of India's top digital stars have been found wanting on disclosure norms while peddling sponsored content.

The self-regulatory body said digital platforms reported 97 per cent of the violative ads during the April-September 2025 period, with Meta contributing nearly 79 per cent to the violations and Google at under 5 per cent.

The half-yearly report said 76 per cent of India's top digital stars, as per the Forbes list, were found in violation of the disclosure norms required by ASCI and the Central Consumer Protection Authority.

"This sets a poor standard for authenticity and honesty in influencer advertising," it added.

Offshore or illegal betting, personal care, healthcare, food and education emerged as the top sectors breaching ASCI's guidelines, an official statement said.

The self-regulatory organisation reviewed 6,841 complaints and investigated 6,117 advertisements, it said, adding that 98 per cent of these required modification.

Further, the body said there was a sharp 70 per cent rise in complaints and a 102 per cent surge in ads processed over the same period last year. These were mainly on account of intensified surveillance, consumer vigilance and collaboration with regulators such as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The largest contribution to the violations from a sectoral perspective came from betting, with over 4,500 ads getting flagged, the statement said.