No info about ASCI’s task force to regulate OTT ads: Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, said in Lok Sabha that the ministry has no info regarding the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) coming up with a task force for regulating ads on streaming platforms.The minister said that his ministry is not working with theMinistry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to establish processes and guidelinesfor monitoring ads on OTT platforms.In reaction to a question from BJP MP Ravi Kishan, Goyal said:"This ministry has no such information as Advertising Standards Council ofIndia (ASCI) is an independent non-profit organisation constituted underCompanies Act (2013)."

Asked whether the ministry is working with the MIB to formguidelines and processes to monitor advertising on these platforms and if so,the details thereof, Goyal replied in the negative.It may be recalled that ASCI chairman Subhash Kamath hasreportedly said that it is mulling over the establishment of a task force tomonitor advertisings on streaming platforms. He told a newspaper: “Advertising on OTT was not part of ASCI guidelines earlier; we are now working with theministry of information & broadcasting to form guidelines and processes,which will monitor advertising on these platforms.” ASCI had started monitoring new-media platforms formisleading ads. It is also in the process of forming guidelines to have a definitivedefinition on digital ad. The council recently came up with guidelines on influenceradvertising on digital media.