Download the WFA Guide to choosing and using a media auditor...

The Australian Advertiser Association (AANA) has hit back at the Australian Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) for releasing guidelines which appear to reduce the burden on brand owners to police content on their own social networking sites. IAB released guidelines which effectively suggested that content on a company's social media pages, such as Facebook, should not be treated as advertising. This flies in the face of current practice and global international best practice whereby national self-regulatory authorities, such as the Advertising Standards Bureau in Australia, work under the premise that brands must be responsible for content they post on their sites.

The AANA's new CEO Sunita Gloster said: “The IAB is entitled to its opinion but the reality is that brand owners are committed to the principle that the spirit of the self-regulatory Codes must apply equally in both digital and traditional media. The IAB's comments will have no bearing on brand owners' commitment to abide by ASB judgements and the ASB will continue to adjudicate on consumer complaints according to the AANA Codes.”

The Australian statement to the press can be found here, which in turn has led to some local press coverage.


Sign up to monthly WFA news