Self regulation helps protects advertisers from appearing next to inappropriate or illegal material.
A recent news report claims that some companies are advertising on websites that host inappropriate or illegal material.
Brands do not want their advertising associated with this content. In 2005, to address these concerns, the world’s first online advertising Code of Conduct was created by Internet Advertising Sales House (IASH) to police businesses that broker advertising between brands and websites (known as ‘advertising networks’). Today 25 advertising networks comply with the IASH rules.
Every six months each IASH member is independently audited by ABC. Networks that pass the audit receive a ‘trading seal’ to encourage trust within the market place. Compliance with the IASH Code is now expected by advertisers and this form of self regulation has helped minimise the risk of advertising appearing on inappropriate or illegal websites. In August 2011, ABC audited 33 billion adverts covering campaigns from the first half of 2011.
The way advertising is delivered is evolving and, as the technology evolves, so – therefore - does self-regulation. As a result a new Code will be introduced in 2012 to include new technology platforms (for example ‘advertising exchanges’ where brands bid in an auction for advertising space on websites) and will take into account new methodologies to minimise the risk of advertising appearing on inappropriate or illegal websites.
This approach – and its development – is supported by the UK Government. Last week, in the House of Commons, Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said: “We are also working with internet advertisers to try to reduce the amount of advertising that appears on infringing sites.
“This can often be inadvertent, given the wide spread of internet advertising, but the Internet Advertising Bureau has made significant progress in reducing the amount of advertising that appears on illegal sites, and it continues to work on the issue.”
Advertising on the internet helps pay for the searches we make, the information we publish on social networking sites, the majority of news, information and video / entertainment websites, and much more.
