Google Joins the European Advertising Standards Alliance || The First Digital Pure Play Company Member of the Alliance

Google is the first digital pure play company to join the Alliance alongside 13 industry associations representing the various stakeholders in the advertising ecosystem (advertisers, agencies and the media), which are all committed to ensuring responsible advertising, and 28 advertising self-regulatory organisations (SROs), which administer and enforce national advertising self-regulatory codes. This network of independent consumer-facing SROs upholds high ethical standards in advertising by providing advice, monitoring compliance and handling complaints. This long-standing self-regulatory system promotes trust in advertising and helps to ensure that ads are legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Stéphane Martin, EASA’s Chairman, stated: “We are delighted to welcome Google as a member of EASA and a partner of our self-regulatory network. It demonstrates Google’s commitment to national advertising self-regulatory systems which complement global initiatives and policies.”

“Becoming part of the European Advertising Standards Alliance is a unique opportunity for Google to further develop its relationships and collaboration within the advertising ecosystem on matters of self-regulation and responsible advertising,” said Lucas Boudet, Director General of EASA.

Matt Brittin, President, EMEA Business and Operations at Google said: “Google is both delighted and honoured to become the first corporate member of EASA. We firmly believe that maintaining consumer trust in the ads they see online is vital for the future of our industry, as well as to keep the web open and affordable for everyone. EASA and its network of European ad regulators play an absolutely vital role in this effort. We look forward to supporting EASA to maintain high standards of safe, responsible digital advertising for European consumers, whilst its members continue to evolve to keep pace with our rapidly changing digital advertising ecosystem.”

“Now that over 50% of global ad spend is online, it’s essential to the future credibility and performance of ad standards that the big digital platforms are part of the advertising self-regulatory system. Google joining the European Advertising Standards Alliance represents a historic move, one that brands welcome wholeheartedly. We hope that this EASA deal might lead to more dialogue and potential future cooperation between Google and other SROs globally,” said Stephan Loerke, CEO of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and Vice-Chairman of EASA.

“We are delighted to welcome Google to the EASA network. The partnership will strengthen Google’s collaboration with EASA’s self-regulatory organisations, through which national ad industries commit to protect consumers from misleading or otherwise inappropriate ads. Additionally, the partnership will help ensure EASA’s network is stronger in rapidly changing times, including by tackling irresponsible advertising through the use of technology,” said EASA Digital Working Group members Charo Fernando Magarzo, Deputy General Director of AUTOCONTROL (Spain), Otto van der Harst, Director of Stichting Reclame Code (Netherlands), Guy Parker, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority (UK) and Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland, in a joint statement.