ASCI to leverage AI and other technologies to improve ad compliance monitoring

Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) plans to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies to improve compliance monitoring, its executive director and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said.

With the rapid growth of digital advertising, ASCI is focusing on technology to address challenges in regulating advertising in sectors such as alcohol and healthcare, which are governed by complex jurisdictional issues.

Talking with MintKapoor stressed the need to work with technology partners to develop AI tools tailored to the Indian advertising landscape. “Obviously, we are not a technology company, so we will work with technology partners and vendors. The question is, how do we bring all those technologies together? How do we customize them? How do we teach the model enough to give an accurate result?” he said.

These AI models will be trained on Indian ads and ASCI guidelines, helping advertisers test their content before launch to ensure compliance. Kapoor said this initiative could benefit smaller advertisers, many of whom lack in-house compliance teams. “A lot of these advertisers may not even have a head of marketing. It’s something that depends a lot on the founders,” he added, explaining how the technology could help them self-regulate effectively.

However, Kapoor cautioned that this initiative will take time. “I don’t think we can bring it to market overnight, but those are the areas of focus,” he said.

How to face the challenges of digital advertising

Kapoor pointed out the significant challenges posed by digital advertising, especially when it comes to jurisdiction. “When there is an advertisement in digital format, the borderless nature of this medium makes enforcement difficult,” he explained.

For example, alcohol advertising is controlled by state excise authorities, but digital ads often evade these restrictions. “Direct alcohol advertising is banned on television and print media, but enforcing it on digital platforms is much more complicated,” Kapoor said. ASCI, a self-regulatory body for the advertising industry, escalates such violations to state authorities, but enforcement across jurisdictions remains a challenge.

Kapoor highlighted ASCIIThe company’s recent collaboration with the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) to scrutinize property advertisements, which led to fines for misleading advertising, hinted at similar partnerships with other state authorities in the future.

Focused on small and medium-sized advertisers

A key goal for ASCI is to help small and medium-sized advertisers, especially those who do not have the resources to comply with the rules. “How can we help them advertise correctly? How can we ensure that they comply with the rules?” said Kapoor. He stressed that AI could play a crucial role in this regard by analysing ads, comparing them to ASCI guidelines and flagging problems before they are published.

“Technically, let’s say you put in an ad and it compares it to an ASCI guideline and gives you a score. It says, ‘Here are the three areas of your ad that you might want to fix.’ So it’s about reading the images, the context and the text,” he said.

Training AI models to do this accurately, however, is resource-intensive. “It may not require a lot of capital, but it does require a lot of bandwidth,” Kapoor said. ASCI will have to revisit advertisements from last year to train the system, a process that requires significant manpower.

Addressing Dark Patterns

ASCI is also working with the government to tackle “dark patterns” – manipulative design tactics that mislead consumers. Kapoor said ASCI’s recent report found that 52 of the 53 apps studied used dark patterns. “We all knew dark patterns existed, but this is the first report in India that has established the magnitude of the problem,” he said.

The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs has also issued guidelines on dark patterns. Kapoor highlighted ASCI’s role in monitoring dark patterns in advertising, while the government tackles broader manipulative marketing practices.

Collaboration with the Government

ASCI works closely with government agencies such as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Kapoor said ASCI escalates cases of non-compliance to these authorities for action.

“Different priorities arise at each moment because the environment is not stagnant. We continue to work closely with the government on several fronts,” he said.

Kapoor envisions a future where AI, technology and collaboration will ensure the advertising industry remains ethical, compliant and consumer-friendly.