Real Estate Ads Leading Violations of Advertising Standards: ASCI and MahaRERA Report
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has identified real estate as the most violative category of ads, with 99% of ads in Maharashtra failing to comply with MahaRERA regulations. MahaRERA has penalised 628 developers for violations.
Real EstateAdvertising StandardsMahareraAsciViolationsReal Estate NewsNov 26, 2024
During the period from April to September, 1,027 real estate ads were shortlisted from 2,115 screened in Maharashtra. These ads were checked for compliance with mandatory disclosure norms, which include the presence of registration numbers, QR codes, and other essential information. Alarmingly, 99% of the shortlisted ads were found to be in violation of the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) Act.
ASCI reported prompt compliance in 59% of the cases, where advertisers either modified their ads to include the missing information or withdrew them. However, non-compliant ads were flagged to MahaRERA for further action. As a result, MahaRERA penalised 628 real estate developers, imposing a total penalty of Rs 88.90 lakh for various violations.
The second most violative category was illegal betting and gambling. ASCI referred 890 ads to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for action. Among these, 831 Instagram posts displayed betting tickers, directing viewers to offshore betting platforms. Some page owners on Instagram reportedly earned daily amounts between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 by featuring these logos. Additionally, 50 websites and social media pages were identified as promoting illegal betting apps and platforms, and nine influencer posts were found endorsing illegal betting services.
Greenwashing claims in ads emerged as the third biggest violator. ASCI reviewed 100 advertisements for potential violations of the ASCI Guidelines for making environmental/green claims, compared to 34 ads in 2023-24. The majority of these ads were from the homecare sector, where products claimed to be eco-friendly or environment-friendly without adequate support data. Twenty-eight percent of these cases were reported to the government for non-compliance with the ASCI code and guidelines.
The report highlights the need for stricter enforcement of advertising regulations, particularly in the real estate sector. Both ASCI and MahaRERA are taking proactive steps to ensure that advertisers adhere to the required standards and norms, thereby protecting consumers from misleading and non-compliant advertisements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ASCI?
ASCI stands for the Advertising Standards Council of India, a self-regulatory organization that ensures the truthfulness and propriety of advertisements in India.
What is MahaRERA?
MahaRERA stands for the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, which is responsible for regulating the real estate sector in Maharashtra and ensuring compliance with the RERA Act.
How many real estate ads were in violation of MahaRERA regulations?
99% of the 1,027 shortlisted real estate ads in Maharashtra were found to be in violation of MahaRERA regulations.
What penalties were imposed on real estate developers by MahaRERA?
MahaRERA penalised 628 real estate developers, imposing a total penalty of Rs 88.90 lakh for various violations.
What is greenwashing in advertisements?
Greenwashing refers to the practice of making misleading or exaggerated claims about the environmental benefits of a product or service.
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