The Advertising Standards Authority is set to regulate companies' social networking

The ASA has been recommended by the Advertising Association to regulate companies' activity on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook by the end of the year. This comes after increasing concerns for consumers and children. Currently the ASA regulations cover paid for marketing communications such as banner ads, pop ups and viral ads.

Two thirds of complaints of online marketing activity made to the ASA relate to areas over which it has no authority, for example social media. The new recommendations will cover marketing on companies' own websites and other brand activity on social networking sites, giving consumers the same level of protection.

ASA chairman Lord Smith of Finsbury states "We know from our active monitoring work that where the Code applies, there is very high compliance with the rules and ASA decisions" and also says that regulations need to keep up to date withs social and technological change.