ASA wavering over "unlimited" speed stance

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 12 Mar 2009 at 14:44

The Advertising Standards Authority has revealed that its decision to allow mobile companies to brand services as "unlimited" even when there are strict data limits in place is "not set in stone."

The ASA was responding to a PC Pro reader who contacted the watchdog to complain about its stance on the use of the word "unlimited" in mobile broadband advertising.

"Unlimited should mean exactly that and if the service being offered does not actually allow unlimited use, then use of that word should be regarded as misleading, dishonest and illegal," wrote the reader, who asked to remain anonymous.

"Doesn't [the ASA] place itself at risk of being replaced by a more independent body if it fails to recognise something as simple as the true meaning of the word 'unlimited'?"

The ASA wrote back reiterating its rather bizarre stance that "unlimited" can be used by advertisers so long as most people aren't going to break the limit.

However, towards the end of the letter it admits: "This position is not set in stone - the ASA Council is the body charged with making the decision as to whether or not to uphold complaints about advertisements. It will look at each ad in context and decide whether or not the ad breaches the rules in terms of misleading information / lack of substantiation for the claims being made.

"Changes in technology and general usage in the future may mean that the Council takes a different view to the use of the word 'unlimited' and CAP's advice to advertisers would change to reflect that."