UK ad authority expands control to social networks, corporate sites & mobile apps

Posted by Alisa Zykova on September 1, 2010 at 7:36 AM

The UK-based Advertising Standards Authority will be expanding control to corporate websites, social networks and mobile applications from March 2011, the Financial Times reports. The ASA will have the right to ask that paid-for links leading to banned ads be removed and will be able to include ads announcing that certain advertisers are not complying with regulations, according to MediaGuardian.

The new guidelines will permit the ASA to give ads on sites like YouTube and Facebook the same attention as ads on TV, radio or in newspapers. Google is supplying the ASA with £200,000 funds for the extension and the rest will come from the 0.1 percent voluntary levy on paid-for ads, MediaGuardian explained.

"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," said Chairman of the Committee of Advertising Andrew Brown, whose company writes the regulations for the ASA.

The ASA has received around 4,500 complaints since 2008 on websites that were outside of its jurisdiction. The organization won't be banning journalistic or editorial content in efforts to preserve the freedom of speech but instead will deal with ads that sell products, Press Association informs.