The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has introduced a clause to its code for self-regulation in advertising. 

The new clause requires media companies to clearly identify paid content on their social media handles.

With this, ASCI aims to stop advertisements or promotions from being perceived as editorial content.

The new clause is 1.8, part of chapter 1 - 'truthful and honest representation'. Any paid or sponsored post by a media company must carry a clear disclosure right at the start, so audiences know up front that it is promotional in nature. 

The labels include the following: 
Advertisement, partnership, ad, free gift, sponsored, platform disclosure tags, collaboration. 

The norms of journalists conduct also require newspapers to clearly distinguish advertisements from content. The change follows observations of consumer complaints about misleading or undisclosed promotions, on platforms where editorial credibility is high. 

According to ASCI, with digital media serving as a news and information source, transparency is essential to protect both audiences and media brands.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO and secretary general, ASCI, said, "Labelling sponsored content is crucial for several reasons.  It builds trust and transparency with the audience, which appreciates knowing whether it’s an endorsement or recommending something in exchange for compensation. Second, it helps to comply with the laws and guidelines, which may require one to disclose any material connection or relationship you have with a brand or product. Finally, it helps avoid potential penalties, fines or legal actions from regulators, who may accuse you of deceptive or unfair marketing practices. ASCI monitors such content closely to avoid any brand influence of misleading content by brands.”

She added, “Several media outlets regularly post editorial content on their social media handles. Increasingly, we see that advertisements with no or poorly visible disclosures are making their way to such posts. To maintain the integrity and trust of media news and features, it is important that sponsored or promoted content is distinguished by means of upfront disclosures. This prevents such advertisements from misleading consumers about their true nature. Consumers have a right to know if they are dealing with sponsored or editorial content right at the beginning.”