Self-regulation complements legislation and facilitates the creation and sustenance of good practices in the industry. It is defined by a fruitful collaboration of the whole industry in developing robust standards at a national level and a system for the independent monitoring and enforcement of these standards.

Self-regulation has numerous benefits for policy makers, consumers, marketers, and society as a whole.

For policy makers: Self-regulatory content standards provide an additional layer of consumer protection that complements the legal framework. It makes room for education, training, continuous learning and tracks key concerns or issues relating to content and provide the opportunity to address them when needed. Self-regulation is also more efficient and faster than the legal process to adapt to technological and societal changes.

For content creators and marketers:  Consumer trust in a brand is crucial to corporate success. Self-regulation can drive up professional standards by requiring organisations to think about and develop their own standards of behaviour. Self-regulation also helps the industry to grow and innovate as compared to conforming to restrictive blanket regulations which may stifle growth and ultimately pose as a challenge for fast-growing industries.

For consumers: Self-regulation provides an effective, inexpensive (typically cost-free), fast and efficient solution to handle consumer complaints. It allows consumers to uphold their rights, air grievances, lodge complaints and resolve disputes to ensure there is transparency and accountability, which strengthens consumer protection within the industry.

Anything we do online may have spillover effects offline and it is important that we practice self-regulation to keep ourselves safe. Always remember that laws are applicable online as well.

Online content creators should exercise self-regulation to the best of their abilities and online content consumers should be equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to practice self-regulation. This will allow us to enjoy the freedom we get from creating and consuming online content while ensuring that the online environment remains to be a safe one.

You can go to support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802027 on steps to report a video on YouTube or you can look at the step by step instructions at [click here]

For reporting posts, please follow the step by step instructions provided here [click here]

For reporting posts, please follow the step by step instructions provided here [Click Here]