Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising took effect on September 1, banning

Red Net Changsha, August 29 (Reporter Pan Jin) The internet is not a lawless land, and advertising must also follow guidelines! Recently, the "Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising" have been reviewed and approved by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and will officially take effect from September 1, 2016.

On August 29, the Hunan Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce held a symposium to implement the "Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising," with representatives from the Provincial Cyberspace Administration, Provincial Communications Administration, Red Net, New Hunan, Mango TV, and Aier Eye Hospital attending the meeting. Li Jindong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Hunan Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

The "Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising" is China's first comprehensive departmental regulation to standardize internet advertising behavior, clarifying the concept and forms of internet advertising, the responsibilities and obligations of internet advertisers, advertising operators, and publishers in the design, production, and publication of internet advertisements, the obligations of internet information service providers, the supervisory responsibilities of industry and commerce administrative departments over internet advertising, and the legal liabilities for illegally publishing internet advertisements.

The "Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising" also stipulates various prohibited behaviors in internet advertising activities, such as prohibiting the use of the internet to publish advertisements for prescription drugs and tobacco, not misleading users into clicking on advertisement content through deceptive means, and not attaching advertisements or advertisement links to emails sent by users without permission.

Representatives from internet advertisers, advertising operators, and publishers expressed their opinions and suggestions at the meeting.

Liu Jianjian, a member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Red Net, introduced the advertising operation status and model of Red Net. He stated that Red Net is a party media, not just a simple internet platform. The operational costs of media and internet platforms are different, and the influence of media comes from content, which incurs much higher operational costs than ordinary internet platforms. When ensuring revenue scale and determining the operating model, Red Net will position its advertising clients as large brand companies in Hunan and other provinces. After the implementation of the "Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising," Red Net will strictly publish advertising content and forms according to relevant regulations.

Peng Zhikun, a representative from Aier Eye Hospital, said that in the past, they were not very clear about which advertisements to place on the internet and how to do so. The introduction of the "Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising" has come at a very timely moment, providing a guideline for the company's future internet advertising placements.

Yi Keming, a representative from Mango TV, stated that they will be steadfast adherents and faithful practitioners of the "Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising," and will pay more attention to industry laws and user experience in future advertising releases, continuously improving their work based on new situations encountered.

In 2015, China's advertising revenue reached 590 billion yuan, with digital advertising revenue reaching 158.9 billion yuan, surpassing traditional media like television to rank first in China's advertising revenue classification. While significant progress has been made in internet advertising, many issues have also emerged in the industry. Some internet advertisers are profit-driven, with false and illegal advertisements emerging endlessly; some advertising publishers and operators have not played the role of "gatekeepers," with reviews being merely formal and standards being too low, leading to persistent violations of advertising regulations, severely harming consumers' interests.