Sydney, 8th August 2012 – IAB Australia today expressed its concern with the recent Ad Standards Bureau (ASB) determination relating to the role and responsibilities of businesses using social media platforms to promote their services. The IAB believes this determination places an unnecessary burden on businesses for what happens across social media channels. It goes beyond legal requirements and common industry practice and has the potential to hurt the development of social media for Australians.
Noting that there is no legal obligation on businesses to monitor or moderate user generated comments appearing on their branded social media pages, newly appointed IAB Australia Director of Regulatory Affairs, Samantha Yorke, commented: “Businesses who use social media platforms to promote their products and services should consider their options for moderating user generated comments on their pages to manage the image and reputational risks associated with negative user expressions. This risk assessment and any resulting actions undertaken by businesses are best left to businesses to determine on a case by case basis.
“The global industry standard for social media platforms when managing abuse on their services is ‘notice and take down’. This involves social media platforms and businesses with social media pages promptly investigating reports of abuse and taking appropriate action – such as taking the content down. In addition, there are a range of other tools that these platforms make available to businesses to assist them in their efforts to manage user comments on their pages such as word filters, age gating, and the ability to ban users.
“Social media platforms encourage users to report any objectionable comments using the reporting or escalation tools available on each site and this is the fastest way to make the platform aware of unlawful content and get it taken down,” said Ms Yorke.
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About the Interactive Advertising Bureau
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Limited is the peak trade association for online advertising in Australia and was incorporated in July 2010. As one of over 40 IAB offices globally, and with a rapidly growing membership, IAB Australia’s principal objective is to increase the share of advertising and marketing dollars that interactive media captures in the marketplace.
IAB Australia’s board includes representatives of AIMIA, APN News & Media, Carsales.com, Fairfax Media, Network Ten, News Digital Media, ninemsn, REA Group, Telstra Advertising Network, TressCox Lawyers and Yahoo!7. It has four objectives:
• To develop, coordinate and promote industry standards and guidelines that make interactive advertising a simpler and more attractive medium for agencies, advertisers and marketers
• To prove and promote the effectiveness of interactive advertising to advertisers, agencies, marketers, and the press
• To be the primary advocate for the interactive marketing and advertising industry
• To expand the breadth and depth of IAB membership while increasing direct value to members
For further information about IAB Australia please visit: https://www.iabaustralia.com.au
For more editorial information please contact:
Pru Quinlan or Corinne Cowlishaw
Einsteinz Communications
T: (02) 8905 0995
E: pru@einsteinz.com.au
E: corinne@einsteinz.com.au
