The UK plans to investigate harmful ads on popular platforms, including Google. This comes as it says it would force social media companies and services like Google Ads by Alphabet to stop these harmful ads.
The UK is Trying to Crackdown on Scam Ads, Especially Inappropriate Ads that Children Could See
According to the story by BNN Bloomberg, the type of ads that the UK wants to crack down on includes scam advertisements, which involve fake celebrity endorsements or age-restricted ads regarding drinking and gambling.
This comes as they take a more significant stance to ensure that children don't see the ads while underaged, as highlighted by the Gov.uk.
The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport stated via email regarding the situation, explaining the risks of these advertisements. Aside from the dangers of people believing the fake ads, it was also explained that there could be negative cybersecurity implementations.
Major Concerns Shared by the Department Include Pop-Ups that Look Legitimate but Include Malware
Some of the significant concerns they shared were regarding the endorsement of financial scams and how legitimate-looking pop-ups contained hidden malware. The agency was also looking against promoting products prohibited under UK law.
The department also highlighted the different products prohibited under UK law, including illegal substances, weapons, fake ticketing, and even counterfeit fashion. They have decided that a range of targeted legislative and non-legislative measures will be in place to address the most severe risks when advertising online.
It was noted that the laws impose extra responsibilities regarding the complex digital advertising supply chain. This covers significant platforms for simple website owners and other field players.
The Law Would Cov er Ad-Tech Intermediaries Like Influencers and Other Players in the Digital Advertising Space
The new law would cover ad-tech intermediaries and even influencers, as highlighted in an article by the Financial Times, and ensure that the standard is upheld by all the players online. The measures will also be targetting what was referred to as the "so-called ad-tech supply chain."
The department said that the new law would complement the Online Safety Bill as it would try to address scam ads on social media and search engines.
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The UK Government has Yet to Design Which Government Body Would be Responsible for Enforcing the New Law
It was noted that part of what the UK government already calls its Online Advertising Programme. This would allow officials to consult regarding the details of the potential legislation, including what type of regulator should be tapped to oversee the new rules.
With a potential regulator in place, they would enforce fines or punishments on companies that do not uphold the UK's ad standard. However, this remains to be seen when an agency would be tapped as the regulator or watchdog for digital advertising.
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