Who: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
Where: United Kingdom
When: 5 March 2024
Law stated as at: 9 April 2024
What happened:
The ASA has initiated two groundbreaking initiatives aimed at gaining a better understanding of the accountability for inappropriate and targeted ads that appear online. These projects are part of the ASA’s strategy to safeguard vulnerable audiences, particularly children, and to enhance transparency and accountability in the regulation of online advertising.
The first project involves the use of innovative technology to monitor ads for age-restricted products, such as alcohol, gambling and unhealthy foods, on websites that are of particular interest to individuals under the age of 18. Strict rules are in place to prevent these ads from being directed at children (aged 15 and below) and young people (aged 16 and 17) through media selection or contextual placement.
The second project employs a similar approach to monitor offensive and potentially harmful ads that have been observed in mobile quiz and game apps. This marks the first instance of tech-assisted monitoring in this particular medium. Previous investigations have focused on in-app ads that endorse or encourage sexual violence towards women and girls, which are deemed unacceptable in any media environment.
By analysing the monitoring findings, the ASA will conduct detailed case studies to identify the parties involved in the supply chain of these non-compliant ads. This will include assessing the roles played by advertisers, publishers and intermediary companies. The ASA will seek their input to gain a better understanding of how these ads came to be displayed. The findings and assessments will be published to support the ASA’s strategic commitments.
These initiatives build upon the ASA’s innovative approach to online regulation, as demonstrated by previous projects such as CCTV-style monitoring for safeguarding children online, avatar-based monitoring of ads, with a focus on HFSS ads appearing around children’s media, and panel-based monitoring as part of the 100 Children Report.
The outcomes of these projects will be reported by the ASA later this year.
Why this matters: The ASA’s recent active approach highlights its commitment to safeguarding vulnerable audiences, particularly children, from inappropriate and potentially harmful online advertising. The ASA’s approach also brings greater transparency and accountability within the realm of online advertising regulation. By utilising innovative technology to monitor ads and analysing the findings to identify the parties involved in the supply chain of non-compliant ads, the ASA aims to hold advertisers, publishers and intermediary companies accountable for their roles in disseminating inappropriate content.
