I refer to the report, “Gushcloud draws up rules on good social media marketing practices” (March 31), about digital media players being in talks with the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) to create the guidelines.
However, ASAS is merely an advisory council of the Consumers Association of Singapore, an organisation registered with the Registry of Societies, and was set up as the self-regulatory body of the advertising industry to promote ethical advertising.
ASAS is not under any government ministry and has no statutory status. Yet, it is working with different industry players to create advertising guidelines for social media.
If such guidelines are needed, these should be drafted and implemented by an authority under the umbrella of the Ministry of Communications and Information. There would then be no mistaking its legal status. Infringement of advertising standards should not be handled by ASAS.
The council now charges fees for handling business-to-business complaints, or feedback on such infringements, from members of the Singapore Advertisers Association, the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Singapore, the Association of Media Owners of Singapore and the Direct Marketing Association of Singapore, as well as from non-members.
This is an untenable situation. I doubt that a government authority would charge an individual or organisation for receiving or acting on feedback.
However, ASAS is merely an advisory council of the Consumers Association of Singapore, an organisation registered with the Registry of Societies, and was set up as the self-regulatory body of the advertising industry to promote ethical advertising.
ASAS is not under any government ministry and has no statutory status. Yet, it is working with different industry players to create advertising guidelines for social media.
If such guidelines are needed, these should be drafted and implemented by an authority under the umbrella of the Ministry of Communications and Information. There would then be no mistaking its legal status. Infringement of advertising standards should not be handled by ASAS.
The council now charges fees for handling business-to-business complaints, or feedback on such infringements, from members of the Singapore Advertisers Association, the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Singapore, the Association of Media Owners of Singapore and the Direct Marketing Association of Singapore, as well as from non-members.
This is an untenable situation. I doubt that a government authority would charge an individual or organisation for receiving or acting on feedback.
