UK Ad Body to Enforce EU Behavioural Ad Rules

In the UK, the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) has announced its intention to enforce EU self-regulation for online behavioural advertising (OBA) from next February.

Administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the CAP writes and maintains UK advertising codes, while offering advice and guidance on how to create campaigns that comply. From 4 February 2013, it will enforce practices that many businesses are already implementing across EU and EEA markets, to provide greater transparency and consumer control over behavioural advertising.

The new rules will require notice to be provided to web users in or around an advertisement delivered by OBA, as well as choice via an opt-out mechanism to prevent user online viewing behaviour from being collected and used for OBA purposes.

CAP Chairman James Best (pictured) comments: 'The new rules surrounding OBA are the latest example of the advertising self-regulatory system responding effectively to the challenge of new technologies and advertising trends. The ASA's regulation of OBA will bolster consumers' ongoing trust in how data around their web viewing behaviour is collected, by notifying and then enabling them to exercise choice over receiving such ads.'

Web site: www.cap.org.uk .