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UK Regulator Asks Google to Stop Illegal Marketing of Money Making Schemes
27 Nov, 2019 / 09:57 AM / Anas Barbarawi

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UK regulators asks Google to stop illegal online marketing of money-making schemes that can lead to small investors losing their savings. Britain’s regulators had already banned mini bonds.

The average investment for mini-bonds is 25,000 pounds, but they are not regulated by Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Mini-bonds have been heavily promoted online, offering high returns, and the watchdog has powers over marketing material. FCA Chief Executive Andrew Bailey said the watchdog wanted web services companies, especially Google, to help it stop illegal promotions online.

“We want to see more from Google, they have a responsibility given the reach and power of their tool,” Bailey told Reuters. “We have got to reach a point where we understand that where a test is passed, that we can demonstrate a site is harmful, that they are prepared to take it down,” Bailey said. “Otherwise we are constantly playing a game of whack-a-mole and I don’t think that is the right way to go about it.”

The temporary marketing ban comes into force on Jan. 1 for 12 months to give time for the watchdog to consult on permanent rules. The new rules will mean that unlisted speculative mini-bonds can only be promoted to so-called sophisticated or “high net worth” investors, defined as earning 100,000 pounds or more a year or with net assets of 250,000 pounds or above.

The mini bond issuance is already in the decline but the market is still on for it. Google has to stop promoting this as lot of illegal online activities happen behind this.