ASCI asks Media Firms to Label Paid Posts Shared on Social Media Handles

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 information source for the people, and hence, transparency is essential to protect both audiences and media brands.

"Several media outlets regularly post editorial content on their social media handles. Increasingly, we are seeing that advertisements with no or poorly visible disclosures are making their way to such posts.

"To maintain the integrity and trust of media news and features, it is important that sponsored or promoted content is distinguished by means of upfront disclosures," the body's chief executive and secretary general, Manisha Kapoor, said.

She added that consumers have a "right to know" if they are dealing with sponsored or editorial content from the outset.