The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court proposing a unified ‘self-declaration certificate’ (SDC) for all media outlets. Moreover, the recommendation also includes exempting ASCI members, print media, advertising agencies, and small and micro companies (start-ups) from the mechanism.
The Ministry has proposed that all advertisements within the Food and Health sector be submitted through a single designated portal, as per media reports.
The affidavit is in response to the Supreme Court’s order in July, which mandated the Ministry to file an affidavit within three weeks. This affidavit must outline the recommendations concerning SDC mechanism for advertisements.
Senthil Rajan, Joint Secretary in MIB, filed an affidavit requesting an exemption for advertising agencies and the exclusion of programmatic advertisements and user-generated content from the SDC mechanism.
It was noted that SDCs might not me feasible for programmatic advertisements on digital platforms. This is because such advertisements are managed by network agencies and involve real-time bidding in the open market. For online advertisements, it was recommended that the term ‘advertiser’ exclude ‘user-generated content,’ and that online ads might be exempt from the SDC mandate.
As per the reports, the affidavit proposed that members of ASCI be granted an exemption, given their commitment to adhering to the ASCI Code. This code aligns with numerous national advertising regulations, and ASCI members have consistently shown a history of voluntary compliance with it. It was also suggested that print media be exempted from obtaining SDC, given that this sector is already governed by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and the Press Council of India.
