Social Issues
In News: The guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, had been notified by the Department of Consumer Affairs
- The guidelines provide for regulation of bait, free claims and children-targeted advertisements and prohibit surrogate advertisements.
Provisions
- An advertisement for junk foods, including chips, carbonated beverages and such other snacks and drinks shall not be advertised during a programme meant for children or on a channel meant exclusively for children
- It states an advertisement of any goods, product or service that addresses or targets children shall not –
- be such as to develop negative body image in children;
- Give any impression that such goods, products or services are better than the natural or traditional food that children may be consuming.
- It states any advertisement that offers promotional gifts to persuade children to buy goods, product or service without necessity or promotes illogical consumerism shall be discouraged.
- Also bars Indian citizens living abroad from endorsing such advertisements that have been barred for Indian professionals living in the country.
- Endorsers are required to disclose their material connection with the endorsed product or service, and specify duties of manufacturer, service provider, advertiser and advertising agency.
- No surrogate advertisement or indirect advertisement shall be made for goods or services whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law, by circumventing such prohibition or restriction and portraying it to be an advertisement for other goods or services, the advertising of which is not prohibited or restricted by law.
Source: Indian Express
