YouTube and Twitch have been fined by Italy for violating rules related to gambling advertising. The financial penalty was imposed after Italy’s media regulator found thousands of online ads promoting gambling in the country.
Italy’s media and communications regulator, AGCOM, has fined YouTube and Twitch $2.45 million collectively. YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., and Amazon’s Twitch, violated the rules that prohibit gambling advertising in Italy under the Dignity Decree, a set of regulations prohibiting gambling advertising.
The fine was announced on Tuesday, December 10, 2023.
The watchdog has also ordered the video-sharing services to remove over 20,000 videos promoting different forms of gambling, particularly sports betting. According to the regulator, both YouTube and Twitch had commercial deals with the creators who published the ads on the platforms.
AGCOM says it launched a probe into YouTube and Twitch after receiving reports about videos promoting gambling. As a result, over 80 channels were identified with the prohibited content. Both platforms have been directed by the regulator to remove and prevent gambling ads under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
A similar investigation was launched into TikTok as well. AGCOM, however, closed the probe after it was established that TikTok did not have commercial partnerships with the content creators who published the videos. About 30 creators had uploaded videos promoting gambling to TikTok.
Following the enforcement of the DSA, the regulatory glare has significantly intensified around Big Tech platforms, particularly Meta, Google, and ByteDance. Italy recently approved a new set of regulations to protect children on video-sharing platforms, including Meta’s Instagram, Alphabet’s YouTube, and ByteDance’s TikTok. The updated rules will empower AGCOM to report content deemed harmful to underage users and have it taken down.
The law covers a wide range of online material, including content promoting religious and ethnic hatred and racial and sexual attacks. The legislation will enable AGCOM to hold accountable digital platforms based in other European countries. The watchdog will have to consult with the national authorities of the country concerned before taking any action, however.
If the flagged content is not removed, or if AGCOM is not satisfied with a given’s regulator’s action, it will take up the takedown request with the video platform itself.
