As many as 50% of online adverts are scams, and a lack of monitoring on the part of Web site owners puts consumers at risk.
This is according to Kalahari Ads, an online classified network.
The Advertising Standards Authority of SA (ASA) says it will only order an advert to be removed if it is found to be in breach of the Code of Advertising Practice.
Corn'e Kock, communications manager at ASA, explains that the authority is not a monitoring agent, and operates on a reactive basis. He says the ASA only acts once a complaint has been received.
“Once the complaint is assessed based on validity, and whether or not it falls within the jurisdiction of the ASA, the ASA issues a ruling,” says Kock. He adds that the ASA aims for a 30-day turnaround period, and gives the advertiser a chance to respond.
Kock also stresses the ASA does not have authority over what advertising media agencies choose to publish.
Bronwyn Johnson, head of marketing at Kalahari Ads, says the growth of online classified advertising has created an opportunity for criminals to scam people. These scams involve illicit products, services and crimes, she adds.
According to Johnson, while Kalahari Ads tries to prevent scammers preying on end-users, consumers should act with caution. “We can only warn our users, and vigilantly read and monitor ads. Our primary motivation is to show only safe ads; but unfortunately, we have no control once the buyer and seller meet,” Johnson says.
To prevent scams, Kalahari Ads uses trained moderators to monitor all adverts, assessing them on a case-by-case basis, according to Johnson. She says the company has an automated taboo-list, which identifies high-risk words, and immediately prevents ads containing those words from being posted online.
According to Kock, media agencies in SA choose to self-regulate the content they publish, thereby abiding with the Code of Advertising Practice. “Most media agencies try and vet advertisements prior to publishing, and base this on the outcome of rulings made by the ASA,” he explains.
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