MEDIA-I: Beijing bans web ads for tobacco and sex

BEIJING: China has reportedly banned all tobacco and sex advertising on the internet, sparking fears that this will be the start of a long list of prohibited content online. According to reports in China, the new rules -dubbed the Interim Measures of Beijing Municipality on the Management of Internet Advertisements - have been introduced by the Beijing Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce (BMAIC). They come into effect on May 1, and apply to all products and services prohibited by law, as well as good and services already banned from traditional advertising media. Zenith Media deputy managing director for China, Steven Chang, said the regulation will deal a blow to China's internet sector, which is still in its "infancy". According to the agency, internet advertising in China is expected to reach RMB750 million (USdollars 90.6 million) this year, rising to RMB1,800 million and RMB4,500 million in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Chang added that while he did not expect the ban to hinder creativity, there is always a concern over censorship of content on the web. This would inevitably "affect creative execution because all ads would be subject to official government approval". Grey Worldwide account director in Beijing, Christina Chan, said the agency did not expect any complications following the ban. "There are many regulations here (in China), but for a long time the internet has remained unregulated. This gap has been closed with these regulations. "Most of the 4As agencies in China should have details on these regulations and what we understand is that the rules that apply for offline advertising, also apply for the online world," Chan explained. AdXplorer's chief executive, Anthony Young, said the ban on cigarette advertising was "an expected part of the legitimising of online as an advertising medium". But he added that despite close scrutiny from the Chinese government, "the business of advertising carries on and the challenge is always to work within these conditions". Young added: "Logistically, ad approvals on TVCs through the appropriate administrative bodies usually take a couple of days. So there will be a slight slowing down of the process which will need to be factored into the advertising planning process and probably an additional cost." While the ban is seen as an "inconvenience", Young believed it will not affect spending revenue. The ban also presents numerous difficulties for internet service providers (ISPs) in China as ISPs must prevent sites residing on their servers from featuring any ads relating to tobacco or sex. ISPs already require government approval for online ads that contain drugs, pesticides and other goods. Ads relating to overseas studies and employment agencies must also receive approval. Now China's ISPs must send all copies of ads to the Internet Advertisement Management Centre, part of the BMAIC, responsible for publishing ads on sites. It was unclear what penalties would be incurred for advertisers.

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