Tech giants cough up as ASA seeks funding overhaul

Google and Meta have come to the rescue of the UK’s advertising self-regulation system, as the industry sets up a new taskforce to secure the long-term funding of the Advertising Standards Authority.

Unchanged since 1974, the current ASA funding model is claimed to be unfit for purpose as it is wholly reliant on advertisers using legacy media agencies and fails to capture the scale of digital ads.

Now, the organisation which sorts out funding, the Advertising Standards Board of Finance (Asbof), is aiming to create a new and fair system to protect the ASA and self-regulation long-term.

UK advertising has doubled in size since 2019 and public trust in it has reached a five-year high. It is claimed that this success is underpinned by the credibility of the ASA system’s self- and co-regulatory system.

The ASA has invested in AI and machine learning to keep up with the scale of advertising growth and in 2025 the ASA was able to scan and monitor 59 million ads using its Active Ad Monitoring system.

However, the funding model, largely unchanged since 1974, no longer reflects the structure of the modern market, and risks leaving regulation unable to keep pace.

The new taskforce will identify solutions to ensure the ASA has the investment it needs and design a sustainable, long-term funding model that can secure the future of UK advertising regulation and continue to build public trust in the system that governs it.

The taskforce is supported by Google and Meta who have also provided additional interim funding support to the system to ensure financial stability while a solution is found.

Asbof chair Mark Lund said: “This is an industry-led effort to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading advertising self-regulatory system – one that is independent, trusted by consumers, and protects them effectively. We have taken an important step in bringing the industry together to ensure the system continues to evolve alongside a rapidly changing market and remains fit for the future.”

Meta UK Country Director Shruti Dube added: “Self-regulation works because the industry invests in it. The ASA has successfully adapted to a market that since 2019 has doubled in size, and Meta is proud to support Asbof’s taskforce. Effective self-regulation protects consumers, drives public trust, and gives the industry the agility to innovate responsibly. That’s a foundation worth protecting for the long term.”

Google global director of industry relations Michael Todd concluded: “Maintaining a strong, independent and effective self-regulatory system is vital if the UK is to maintain its status as a global leader in advertising. Google has always recognised the pivotal role played by the ASA and we’re committed to helping secure its long-term future through the work of the Asbof taskforce.”