Watchdog clamps down on web adverts
The UK’s advertising watchdog is going to vet sites like Twitter and Facebook for the first time after receiving thousands of complaints about misleading online adverts.
Last year the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 3,546 complaints regarding online adverts. However, more than half those adverts fell outside of the watchdog’s remit.
From today onwards, the ASA’s rules will cover all misleading marketing messages online across business’s own websites and any type of promotions across social networking sites, such as Facebook.
The extension of the existing laws to the internet has “the protection of children and consumers at its heart”, the ASA said.
Currently the ASA’s remit only extends to advertisements in paid-for space and all sales promotions.
But the change will see its rules on misleading advertising, social responsibility and the protection of children will be applied in full to all online marketing by all sectors, businesses and organisations, regardless of size.
The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), the body responsible for writing the regulations, said it had decided to extend the ASA’s reach after a formal recommendation from a wide cross-section of British industry.
Last year the internet was the second most complained about medium after TV. However, the watchdog has been until now unable to take any action against companies making false promises online.
In an effort to protect freedom of speech online the rules will focus on ads that sell products rather than journalistic and editorial content, the ASA said.
The watchdog will be able to demand the removal of paid-for links to pages hosting a banned advertisement, with the agreement of search engines.
It could also place its own advertisements online, highlighting an advertiser’s continued refusal to comply with a ruling.
Lord Chris Smith, ASA chairman, said: ”This significant extension of the ASA’s remit has the protection of children and consumers at its heart.
”We have received more than 4,500 complaints since 2008 about marketing communications on websites that we couldn’t deal with, but from March 1 anyone who has a concern about a marketing communication online will be able to turn to the ASA.”
Andrew Brown, CAP Chairman, said: ”Extending the online remit of the ASA has been a top priority for UK industry over the last couple of years.
”Our aim has been to extend further in the online world the principles that are already well established in our system, namely those of effective consumer protection and fair competition.”
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