August 2024
Starting from:
£99 + VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference examined the future for online advertising in the UK.
It brought together stakeholders and policymakers to examine priorities for online advertising in the context of the ongoing work of the Online Advertising Taskforce, including opportunities for collaboration and increased transparency across advertising platforms, tackling fraud in online advertising, and improving the evidence base for online harms.
The conference was a timely opportunity for delegates to consider these and wider issues for policy and regulation as the new Government begins its work with a pro-growth agenda.
Delegates considered the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023 for advertisers, as well as strengthening protections for children and vulnerable groups online, discussing the way forward for tackling illegal and fraudulent ads. They considered the role of technology and next steps for developing collaborative frameworks for stakeholders to improve counter-fraud efforts.
Discussion also explored new frameworks for collective ad regulation and adopting whole system approaches to harmful ads, as well as discussing the future for industry-led regulation alongside the roles and responsibilities of platforms, intermediaries and publishers.
Those attending assessed the way forward for the UK’s data protection regime after the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill fell in the previous Parliament, with areas for discussion including industry priorities for future reform and what is needed to support the sector.
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions with: Shahriar Coupal, Director, Advertising Policy and Practice, Advertising Standards Authority; Christie Dennehy-Neil, Head, Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Internet Advertising Bureau; George Jones, Data & Marketing Association Governance Committee; and Senior Privacy Analyst, Zoominfo; and Mark Lund, Deputy Chair, Online Advertising Taskforce; and Chair, Advertising Standards Board of Finance.
Overall, areas for discussion included:
- regulation:
- roles and responsibilities for advertising platforms - transparency and accountability - opportunities for collaboration across the supply chain to adopt a whole-system approach to harmful advertising
- reviewing and improving industry-led, self-regulatory approaches - assessing and demonstrating effectiveness - discussing thresholds for intervention
- examining the strategy, scope and impact of AI-assisted, collective ad regulation - research areas for improving the evidence base of online harm
- Online Safety Act 2023:
- priorities for the new Government - the direction of policy going forward
- key issues for stakeholders and compliance - priorities for implementation - next steps for transparency reports - age assurance measures - closing regulatory gaps not covered in the Act
- tackling fraud in online advertising:
- roles and responsibilities of platforms, intermediaries and publishers - measures for information sharing and blocking - issues for Online Fraud Charter signatories
- examining the Gold Standard criteria, including recent changes and implications for compliance
- way forward for data protection:
- industry priorities for future reform
- transitioning from third-party cookies to first-party data
- next steps for international data transfer and EU adequacy in the UK
- assessing the future of personalised and direct marketing
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from Ofcom; DCMS; NCA; NCSC; DSIT; DBT; DfT; HMRC; Home Office; and the Welsh Government.
The proceedings of the conference will be circulated more widely, to Parliamentarians, ministerial offices, and government and regulatory officials with an interest in the issues being discussed. All delegates will also receive a video recording of the conference.
