The UK is all set to introduce one of the world’s most ambitious attempts to police online marketing next year, when the Advertising Standards Authority extends its regime to corporate websites, social networks and mobile applications.

Given the international and anonymous nature of the Internet, this is not going to be an easy task but the British self-regulatory body will go further than those in most other large onine advertising markets.

“When this goes live next March this will be the most comprehensive approach to the regulation of advertising in website space anywhere in the world,” said Chris Smith, chairman of the ASA.

The regulations will extend to marketing through Twitter and Facebook pages and could even include user-generated content, such as YouTube videos.

To shame offending companies who do not follow the guidelines, their products and listings will appear in a “rogues’ gallery” on the ASA website as also warnings when their listings show up in the search results.

Search engines such as Google, as well as traditional media companies, have helped finance the new powers and will donate space in their sponsored results to help with publicising and enforcing the ASA’s work.

Oliver Gray, director-general of the European Advertising Standards Alliance, said the ASA’s remit extension was part of a wider best-practice strategy but that the UK’s was more “comprehensive” than most. “What will come into place in the UK will be very robust.”