ASA recruits Google to shame online ad offenders

The Advertising Standards Agency is planning a major extension of its remit in an attempt to bring online marketing under control.

The new measures will cover corporate websites, social media and mobile apps and will include marketing via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Chris Smith, chairman of the ASA, said: "When this goes live next March this will be the most comprehensive approach to the regulation of advertising in website space anywhere in the world."

Controlling the internet is notoriously difficult, but sanctions available to the ASA will include an online rogues' gallery of the worst offenders and warnings appearing alongside the search results of brands that fail to comply with regulations. The agency already has the power to ban misleading or offensive online banner ads.

Complaints against online marketing have doubled in recent years, but the ASA has recruited the services of Google, by the far the dominant force in online advertising, to aid its new scheme. Along with traditional media companies, it is helping to finance the new measures, and will donate space in its sponsored results to help publicise and enforce them.

Read a full report at the Financial Times (registration required). ·