We have published a final report on our Intermediary and Platform Principles (IPP) Pilot which ran for one year (1 June 2022 – 1 June 2023).

The Pilot, a global-first involving some of the largest companies in the digital advertising supply chain – Adform, Amazon Ads, Google, Index Exchange, Magnite, Meta, Snap Inc., TikTok, Yahoo For Business, and X (formerly Twitter) – was devised to help explore whether and, if so, how the UK advertising self-regulatory system might evolve to bring greater transparency and broader accountability to its work online.

The Pilot centred around six key Principles, which reflect how platforms and intermediaries have, over many years, voluntarily engaged and cooperated with the ASA to help uphold the UK Non-broadcast Advertising Code. It also sought to develop new working relationships between the ASA and other platforms and intermediary companies.

 

Our findings demonstrate that, without question, during the Pilot the ten participating companies implemented the Principles that were applicable to the services they offer.  By doing so, they demonstrably supported the ASA to raise awareness of the advertising rules and, as relevant, to remove ads online that were persistently non-compliant.

Our Report sets out the steps the companies took to adhere to and implement the Principles. It also provides an assessment of those measures and provides examples of good practice. As the companies have committed to upholding and supporting the Principles at least until the evaluation of the Pilot concludes, the report also identifies areas for their potential ongoing consideration relating to the implementation of one or more Principles.

The report and other relevant information gathered through the Pilot will now be collectively reviewed by the ASA, the industry and other stakeholders. This is with a view to evaluating whether and where gaps exist in the ASA’s ability to secure advertisers’ compliance with the CAP Code online, and how this can effectively be addressed by working with the participating companies and other online intermediary businesses.

We believe the Pilot has showcased the real world value of the Principles; Guidance to inform their implementation; and, ASA independent reports (of which this is the second) to enhance the existing self-regulatory system: a system in which relevant companies in the online advertising supply chain play a part, and are seen to play a part, in supporting the ASA to help secure responsible advertising online.

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