Senacon and Conar join forces to monitor illegal betting and misleading advertising.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security met, this Monday (20), with representatives from two secretariats to present a set of initiatives aimed at protecting consumers in the digital environment. On the one hand, an agreement with Google to block fraudulent ads from financial institutions. On the other, a partnership with the advertising self-regulation body to monitor illegal bets. In the background, an investigation into ticket resale platforms.

The press conference was led by secretaries Victor Fernandes, from the Secretariat of Digital Rights (Sedigi), and Ricardo Morishita, from the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon).

Agreement with Google to block fake ads

The first announcement came from Sedigi. On Thursday (16), the Ministry of Justice, Senacon and Google formalized a cooperation agreement to expand controls over advertisements from financial institutions displayed on the platform. As of the agreement, Google will carry out due diligence procedures before authorizing any advertisement of this type.

The requirements include four checks: confirmation of the advertiser's identity; proof of the company's legal existence; validation of authorization granted by regulatory bodies such as the Central Bank, the Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM), and the Superintendence of Private Insurance (Susep); and confirmation that the person responsible for the advertisement has the power to represent the institution.

According to Fernandes, the goal is to reduce scams and fraud perpetrated through sponsored ads and to reinforce the responsibility of internet providers in preventing illegal activities.

Senacon expands monitoring of illegal betting.

Senacon has launched its own initiative: a cooperation agreement signed with the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (Conar) to intensify the monitoring of advertising on illegal betting platforms. The partnership provides for the submission of weekly reports on irregular bets and the sharing of advertising data to support consumer protection actions and the development of public policies.

Morishita explained that Senacon will monitor Conar's decisions, forward cases of misleading or abusive advertising for correction, and may apply administrative sanctions when it identifies abusive practices.

The topic will be brought up, on Tuesday (21), at a meeting of the Working Group responsible for overseeing the sports betting and online gaming market, composed of representatives from Procons, the Public Ministry and Public Defenders. On Monday morning (20), Senacon had already met with Daniele Corrêa, Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Finance, to align actions to combat irregularities in the sector.

Tickets: Viagogo under administrative review

The press conference also addressed the digital ticket resale market. Senacon reported that it has initiated administrative proceedings and precautionary measures against Viagogo, in addition to conducting an investigation involving StubHub, to investigate transparency failures on both platforms.

The trio of announcements, all concentrated on a single morning, exposes the breadth of the institutional effort: partnerships with private platforms, inter-ministerial coordination, and the use of the State's sanctioning power. What remains to be seen is whether the verification mechanisms agreed upon with Google will be sufficient to deter scammers who have already demonstrated the ability to circumvent previous controls, and whether the sanctions against Viagogo and StubHub will result in concrete changes for consumers who buy tickets on resale platforms.