Advertising watchdog takes issue with Sky TV chief over online regulations
News on 12 Dec 2018
News on 12 Dec 2018
It did not take long for the Advertising Standards Authority to react to Sky TV chief executive Stephen Van Rooyen’s op-ed claim Monday that online advertising is less tightly regulated than that applied to television…the Authority challenged his view and suggested that online advertising, and its record for enforcing the regulations, was every bit as stringent.
Van Rooyen’s op-ed letter to The Times was prompted by news that gambling firms plan to voluntarily reduce the amount of television advertising they buy, which was widely reported.
Van Rooyen suggested that reducing television spend in this manner would have little impact on responsible gambling, contending that gambling companies will simply re-target advertising to the “largely unregulated” online environment, where he alleged that regulations were looser.
“TV advertising is already highly regulated, with rules around exposing inappropriate advertising to minors and limiting when and how often gambling ads can be seen,” Van Rooyen wrote. “This is not the case online.
“If the RGA plan is implemented, then spend would simply shift even further online, with smartphones, tablets and computers targeted with even greater precision.”
A spokesman for the ASA pointed to the very active enforcement program carried out on an ongoing basis by the ASA, and noted also that CAP and BCAP codes governing both channels had been tightened.
The spokesman observed that the regulation of online advertising is as strict as that applied to television and radio and gave examples of how advertisers are guided in avoiding advertising that might impact minors or problem gamblers, and the tough penalties that await those who fail to comply with these regulations.
