ASA Tightens Rules Surrounding ISP Advertising

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has told ISPs that they should no longer describe their services as “free” unless all aspects of them really fit that description.

The ASA is thought to have received numerous complaints about ISPs which promote free subscriptions or free calls, only to charge customers for other elements within the service. “Are telephone calls free if you have to pay £5.99 a month for BT Surftime? Is access free if you have to pay a one-off connection fee?” asked the ASA, which hopes that the move will prevent customers getting confused about what is on offer.

Earlier in the year, some analysts claimed that free access to the internet was unsustainable (see Research Claims Subscription-free Internet Is Unsustainable). Recent problems experienced by AltaVista when it tried to launch such a service (see AltaVista Blames BT For Stalling On Free Internet Service) eventually led to a cessation of the service and the resignation of the MD (see AltaVista MD Quits Over Free Internet Access Fiasco).

ASA: 020 7580 5555