ASCI

ASCI's half-yearly report for FY26 shows most ad violations came from digital platforms-led by Meta, websites, and Google-with betting and personal care ads topping the list

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on Wednesday asked media companies to label paid posts on their social media handles. The self-regulatory organisation (SRO) for the advertising industry has expressed growing concerns about promotions being perceived as editorial content. As a result, it has added a clause to its code to prevent such advertisements from being displayed. Under the newly added clause, any paid or sponsored post by a media company must carry a clear disclosure right at the start, so audiences know upfront that it is promotional in nature, an official statement said, adding "Advertisement," "Partnership," "Ad," "Free Gift," "Sponsored," "Platform disclosure tags" and "Collaboration" are the acceptable labels. There were consumer complaints about misleading or undisclosed promotions on platforms with high editorial credibility, which led to the inclusion of the new clause. The body felt that digital media is often serving as a primary news and informati

ASCI flagged a 23.6% jump in ads for prohibited products in FY25, with offshore betting and influencer content contributing to most violations across sectors

ASCI white paper urges regulation of opinion trading platforms amid concerns over betting-like mechanics, financial risks and misleading advertising practices

N Chandramouli, CEO, of TRA Research, foresees that the update in guidelines will impact the nature of collaborations in BFSI and health sectors for influencer marketing

The Advertising Standards Council of India on Tuesday said the popular professional networking platform LinkedIn lacks disclosure tools and asked content creators or influencers to come clear on their associations. The self-regulatory organisation for the advertising sector reported in the last week alone, alert professionals on LinkedIn have flagged 60 cases, of which 56 cases are currently under review for violations related to non-disclosure of material connections. "Unlike other popular social media platforms, LinkedIn does not provide platform disclosure tools," an official statement from the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) said. "LinkedIn influencers are seasoned professionals and trusted voices in their respective fields; this makes it all the more important for them to lead by example when it comes to responsible influencing," the body's secretary general and chief executive Manisha Kapoor said. In an advisory to such influencers, ASCI said that non-disclosure

The real estate sector has emerged as the most violative segment in advertising during the first half of FY25, accounting for over a third of the problematic campaigns, a report said on Tuesday. The report by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) said the self-regulatory body received 4,016 complaints during the first half, of which 3,031 were investigated and 98 per cent of them needed some modification. From a media perspective, digital platforms contributed to 2,830 or 93 per cent of the ads processed by the body. When it comes to violations of the code, the real estate sector is followed by illegal betting at 29 per cent, healthcare at 8 per cent, personal care at 7 per cent, and food and beverages at 6 per cent. The body reviewed 2,115 ads from the realty sector, of which 1,027 were processed for potential violations of the MahaRERA Act, an official statement said. On the illegal betting front, the body said 890 ads were flagged to the Ministry of Information and

In December last year, the Consumer Affairs Ministry introduced rules defining 13 dark patterns in ecommerce, classifying them as violations of consumer protection laws

Sinha wants to deploy AI to monitor errant advertising, and ensure that creativity and responsibility coexist

The report said that ethical design alternatives and choice architecture in apps should be introduced to bring down such cases

It also announced that the facility for uploading the certificate by advertisers/advertising agencies for TV and radio ads has been made operational on the Broadcast Seva Portal

The ASCI has asked advertisers and broadcasters to avoid releasing advertisements between June 18 and July 9 until the SC provides clarity on the self-declaration certificate (SDC) mandate

For the first time, the baby care sector has made it to the list of top 10 violators owing to influencers promoting products and services without disclosing material connections

Cultural diversity is missing from the country's advertising, a report by the industry's self-regulatory body ASCI and a UN body said on Tuesday. The report said that less than one per cent of promotional campaigns feature persons belonging to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community as well as disabled, while only 4 per cent campaigns show people aged above 65. The study by Kantar on behalf of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and UN Women Convened Unstereotype Alliance scrutinised over 261 ads in 13 languages, and mapped them on dimensions of age, gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, physical appearance, social class, disabilities, and religion. "Ads that are stuck in stereotypical depictions are missing a trick in connecting with India's diverse consumer base," ASCI's chief executive and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, adding progressive advertising works better for society and for brands. With 45 per cent of ...

Asci said that before the final data protection rules in India are notified, advertisement companies must also undertake data audits to check their preparedness

Rohit Kumar Singh said that there is a pressing need to halt the proliferation of surrogate ads across industries in India

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (Tata Power-DDL) is a 51:49 per cent joint venture between Tata Power and the Government of NCT of Delhi. The power discom supplies electricity to 7 mn households

The government has finalised draft guidelines to prevent 'greenwashing' or false pro-environment claims being made by companies across sectors, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Thursday. The draft guidelines were finalised after discussions with the committee members in a meeting held on January 10. The committee constituted by the consumer affairs ministry also has member representatives from the industry such as FICCI, CII, Manufacturers Association Information Technology (MAIT), Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and Indian Beauty and Hygiene Association (IBHA). "We have finalised the draft guidelines and will issue the final guidelines after incorporating few suggestions of the industry members," Singh told PTI. The draft guidelines clearly define "Greenwashing" and "Environment claims". It also proposes disclosures that would be required to be made by the company while making green claims, said a statement issued by the ministry. The guidelines

The New York Times has sued OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, and Microsoft for copyright infringement. If such cases arise in India, is the country ready to handle them? Here's what experts suggest

After a prolonged wait, ASCI has taken action to regulate surrogate ads, but it may be insufficient to rein in a complex advertising ecosystem