SC to hear ‘self-declaration mandate for advertisers’ matter on July 9

New Delhi: The Ministry will appear before the Supreme Court  on July 9, 2024 and submit an affidavit outlining the actions taken thus far regarding the Self-declaration Certificate (SDC) directive. for uploading certificates remains June 18, 2024.

In compliance with a Supreme Court order, the MIB has mandated that all advertisers, whether brands or agencies, submit a 'Self-Declaration Certificate' before publishing or broadcasting any advertisements starting June 18, 2024.

Sources close to the development told BestMediaInfo.com that the decision was taken after the meeting held on Tuesday, June 11, by MIB to discuss advertisers’ concerns regarding making the self-declaration certificate mandatory. 

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of MIB Secretary Sanjay Jaju. Industry bodies such as ASCI, IBDF, DNPA, INS, AAAI, and government bodies including the AYUSH and Consumer Affairs Ministry. 

Representatives from across media and advertising bodies expressed a multitude of concerns regarding the implementation of the new rule. 

Sources shared that the industry representatives voiced anxieties about smaller agencies and businesses struggling to adapt due to resource limitations. 

“Integrating the self-declaration process into complex systems like programmatic advertising, they argued, would be cumbersome and require significant investment,” stated a source. 

Despite these concerns, a unanimous request emerged from the media and advertising bodies: an extension of the dateline from June 18 to a later date for uploading the self-declaration certificates on the MIB portal. 

However, another source told BestMediaInfo.com that MIB, “has limited power to overturn the decision”, as the ministry is bound by the Supreme Court's directive.

The industry's resistance comes amidst a government crackdown on misleading advertising, fueled by Patanjali’s misleading ads matter. 

As an alternative to the self-declaration mandate, the media and advertising bodies collectively proposed a system of self-regulation, according to multiple sources privy to the developments of the meeting.