ARCON DG harps on regulation of digital ad
By Oghale Mafuru
Following the recent directive of the Advertising Regulatory Agency of Nigeria, ARCON to begin the enforcement of the law on digital contents across all social media platforms effective from March 1st, 2023, the apex advertising regulator has reiterated that it is only regulating advertising, advertisements and marketing communications in line with its statutory mandate as stipulated in the Advertising law.
Olalekan Fadolapo, the Director General of the Apex regulatory agency who spoke exclusively to MARKETING EDGE, stated that the directive is aimed at eliminating unverified claims, materials that are unfit for public consumption as well as to ensure that all forms of marketing communications on social media, conform to the ethical standards of advertising as entrenched in the ARCON law.
According to the ARCON DG, the directive is sequel to the incessant use of social media platforms to disseminate unvetted marketing communications that escaped the traditional media. He added that the agency is operating within the ambit of its law, which has empowered it to regulate all forms of advertisements on all platforms targeted at or exist within the country.
He said: “The questions are, are we aligned with the law? Is it in the interest of the general public? Is it constitutional? the answers are yes. The law says ARCON should regulate advertising in all ramifications, which means digital and social media inclusive. So, we look at social media and see what is happening there to ensure that it is in line with best practices, but what we see is that majority of the ads exposed are not vetting. Secondly, the ads are unethical with unsubstantiated claims, misleading, deceptive, or otherwise dishonest. We need to maintain the highest ethical practice.
“We are a country with cultural and religious sensitivities. We must ensure that advertisement and all forms of marketing communication respect these nuances in the interest of the public. We have asked digital content creators to ensure that they get the necessary approval for their marketing messages before exposure. Our team is on the lookout for any defaulter” he added.
While affirming that the agency is in talks with digital platform owners to ensure responsible advertising on their platforms, the DG stressed that the regulatory framework is not introduced to strangulate or to gag the freedom of expression.
Recall that the apex advertising regulatory agency held an interactive session with digital content creators in Lagos where the agency announced the commencement of the regulation of all advertisement and marketing communications on digital platforms.
According to the ARCON law, all advertisements and marketing communications must be submitted to the Advertising Standards Panel, ASP, for approval before exposure.
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