Compliance
Native campaign compliance reviews
Review Australian native campaign claims, sponsorship cues and specialist requirements across the promotion and destination before release.
Review the promotion, sponsored destination and booked variants as one campaign before release. The decision is whether readers can recognise the advertising, material claims are supported, and each placement will carry the approved presentation.
Name an owner for every unresolved issue and hold the affected material until it is resolved.
Define what the review covers
List the publisher cards, distributor units, email or social promotions, article page and linked offer pages included in the booking. Include materially different headlines, images and mobile treatments. Assign an owner to each surface and request a final preview where another party controls its appearance.
An approved design file does not establish how a publisher or distributor will render a unit. Record which treatments can be checked before release and which require a live check.
Make three release decisions
| Decision | Question | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Claims | Do the headline, image, promotion and destination stay within the available support, including material conditions? | Claim decision, evidence and copy version |
| Commercial identification | Can readers recognise the paid relationship in each relevant context? | Agreed wording and a preview of each distinct treatment |
| Specialist review | Does the offer require financial, therapeutic goods or another sector-specific assessment? | Reviewer decision and any applicable approval or permission |
The ACCC says businesses must be able to prove claims they make or advertise, and claims should be true, accurate and based on reasonable grounds.
For newspaper and magazine placements, confirm the commercial arrangement and agree an identification term such as “advertisement”, “advertising feature” or “sponsored feature” with the publisher.
Financial product and credit promotions may require review against ASIC’s advertising guidance. Advertising for therapeutic goods that may be promoted to the public has separate TGA requirements. A general campaign check does not clear a claim under either regime.
For any decision that depends on evidence, identify who will supply it and keep release on hold until it is available.
The ACCC uses reports it receives to inform its education, compliance and enforcement work, and may investigate misleading claims.
Pre-Release Native Campaign Compliance Checklist
- Claims reviewEnsure all claims in headline, image, promotion and destination are supported by evidence and comply with ACCC guidelines.
- Commercial identificationConfirm readers can clearly recognise the paid relationship using approved terms like 'advertisement' or 'sponsored feature'.
- Specialist review required?Check if financial (ASIC), therapeutic goods (TGA) or other sector-specific approvals are needed.
- Evidence securedIdentify who supplies supporting evidence and confirm it is available before release.
Native Campaign Release Decision Process
- Claims assessmentVerify all claims are truthful, accurate, and backed by reasonable grounds per ACCC standards.
- Commercial identificationEnsure clear disclosure of paid relationship in each format and platform.
- Specialist reviewEngage ASIC (financial products), TGA (therapeutic goods) or other relevant bodies where required.
- Hold until evidence confirmedDo not proceed if claim support is pending; assign owner to provide evidence.
Key Regulatory Bodies & Requirements for Australian Native Ads
- ACCC – Advertising Claims
- Must be substantiated; misleading claims may trigger investigation.
- ASIC – Financial Products
- Advertising must comply with RG 234 guidance on disclosures and suitability.
- TGA – Therapeutic Goods
- Public advertising must meet general requirements under the Advertising Code.
- Australian Press Council – Advertorials
- Editorial-style content under commercial arrangements must be clearly identified.
Check the commercial-arrangement boundary
For newspaper and magazine material, the Australian Press Council defines an advertorial as editorial-looking content published under a commercial arrangement. That arrangement can include payment for an article or an undertaking to publish editorial content in exchange for, or as part of, an advertising or sponsorship agreement.
The Press Council says advertorials are advertisements and are covered by the rules and guidelines that apply to advertisements.
The Press Council says complaints about advertorials are usually redirected to a relevant advertising or trade practices authority. Complaints about material outside that definition may be considered by the Council if the issue concerns misleading readers about provenance.
Advertorial vs. Editorial: Key Differences under Australian Standards
- DefinitionEditorial-looking content published under a commercial arrangement (e.g., payment for placement).
- Regulatory statusClassified as an advertisement; subject to advertising rules and guidelines.
- Disclosure requirementMust include clear commercial identification such as 'sponsored feature' or 'advertising feature'.
- Complaint handlingComplaints redirected to ACCC, ASIC or TGA depending on content type; not handled directly by the Press Council unless provenance is misleading.
Record and revisit the decision
Mark each affected version approve, revise, seek specialist review or hold. Sponsor approval confirms acceptance of the identified version; it does not establish that a claim is supported. If a product condition, headline, destination or placement template changes, reopen the decisions that depended on it.
After release, inspect an example of each distinct live treatment and the destination on a phone. Compare them with the approved versions and note the date and surface.
A screenshot documents one appearance, not delivery volume or every impression. Correct a material mismatch through the responsible owner and review the corrected treatment.
In this guide
- Reviewing sponsored content claims before publicationReconcile final sponsored article claims, headlines and promotions with their evidence before approving publication.
- Handling financial or health-related sponsor claims carefullyRoute Australian financial and health sponsor claims to the applicable specialist review before approving native advertising copy.
- Maintaining a record of sponsor approvals and disclosuresKeep sponsor acceptance, publisher release decisions and disclosure treatments tied to exact native campaign versions.
