Task 5 - Requlation

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. It is an independent organization which checks that advertisements do not lie or make false claims about a product.

Its role is to "regulate the content of advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing in the UK" by investigating "complaints made about ads, sales promotions or direct marketing", and deciding whether such advertising complies with its advertising standards codes.

These codes stipulate that "before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove all claims, whether direct or implied, that are capable of objective substantiation" and that "no marketing communication should mislead, or be likely to mislead, by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise"

Anyone can ask the Advertising Standards Authority to investigate an advertisement. If there is a problem with it, the Authority may then tell the company to change or remove it.

Ofcom

Ofcom is an acronym for The Office of Communications. It is a government approved regulatory authority that regulates the telecommunication industry in the United Kingdom. It was established as an act of parliament in 2002 under the communications act of 2002. Ofcom regulates TV and radio, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, and wireless device airwaves.

Its main role is to regulate competition within the broadcasting, telecommunications and radio communications spectrum in the UK. It oversees the working of broadcasters and telecoms providers and to protect consumers, ensuring people get the best from their communications services. It also helps protect people from fraud and ensures that competition thrives.