Digital
Ensuring sensitivity and honesty: ASCI introduces guidelines for advertisements for charitable causes
Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has introduced guidelines for advertisements for charitable causes.
In recent years, charities have been active advertisers, particularly on digital media, and especially for the purpose of seeking funds and crowdfunding on behalf of their beneficiaries who may not have an active social network to reach and tap donors. Charities, including crowdfunding platforms, provide this reach through sponsored ads and organic posts, which tap potential donors.
However, there have been some concerns about ads that create donor distress through the use of images that may be too graphic. While the intent of such posts is undoubtedly to nudge donors to contribute, such posts may cause undue distress to ordinary consumers who may be surfing through their news feeds. In addition, with crowdsourcing platforms, consumers may not know what amount, from their donation, goes to the beneficiary and what may be kept by the platforms for their administrative fees or charges.
The new guidelines reinforce the ASCI code; Chapter 1 requires ads to be honest and truthful and Chapter 2 requires them not to cause grave or widespread harm or offence. To be compliant, ads related to charitable causes must adhere to the following guidelines:
An advertisement for a charitable organisation or crowdsourcing platform for charity shall not overtly or pointedly suggest that anyone who doesn’t support the charity fails in their responsibility or should feel ashamed.
Advertisements must not disrespect the dignity of those on whose behalf an appeal is being made, by any means, including showing graphic images of victims in distress, particularly children and minors. An advertiser must be able to produce evidence of express consent for the use of images of beneficiaries if asked to do so.
In digital advertising, any image that could cause unjustified distress to an ordinary consumer must be blurred and made visible only to those interested in knowing more.
When an appeal is made for a specific case or beneficiary, the ad must disclose if the funds could potentially be used for other purposes or other beneficiaries. Ads must not mislead consumers about where or to whom their donations are going.
If a crowdsourcing platform collects a percentage or fee for managing or raising donor funds, it must be made clear what such amounts are in the advertisement itself.
Talking about the new guidelines, ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “ASCI recognises that charities can have a challenging job explaining the nature of the important, and often sensitive work they do, and raise funds for beneficiaries in need. However, they must take care not to overstep the mark by misleading consumers or causing unjustified distress to those who may be merely surfing online. The guidelines strike a balance between allowing charities to do their important work, and at the same time, be fair to consumers who are viewers of such advertisements.”
Digital
OpenAI to roll out ads for free ChatGPT users in the US
Criteo tie-up signals shift as OpenAI explores ads to fund growth
CALIFORNIA: OpenAI is set to introduce advertisements for users on the free and Go versions of ChatGPT in the United States, marking a notable shift in how the platform plans to fund its rapid growth.
The move, confirmed by a company spokesperson in a statement to Reuters, follows earlier reporting by The Information and signals OpenAI’s deeper push into advertising as a revenue stream.
At the heart of this rollout is a partnership with Criteo, an advertising technology firm now integrated into OpenAI’s pilot programme. The company provides tools that help advertisers buy placements and sharpen targeting, suggesting that ads shown to users will be increasingly tailored.
According to reports, Criteo has been pitching advertisers on commitments ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, hinting at serious commercial intent behind the experiment. OpenAI has also advised advertisers to supply multiple versions of ad copy and visuals, a move designed to boost visibility and improve campaign performance.
The development comes as OpenAI looks to diversify its income streams. With ChatGPT’s popularity surging globally, the company is grappling with rising costs tied to computing infrastructure, even as competition in the generative AI space heats up.
For users, the change may soon mean a more familiar internet experience, where conversations come with the occasional commercial break.
