ADVERTISEMENT AND SPONSORED CONTENT POLICY
ADVERTISEMENT AND SPONSORED CONTENT POLICY
FOR NEWS MEDIA WEBSITE / DIGITAL NEWS PLATFORM
Effective Date: 16/05/2016
Last Updated: 16/05/2016
COMPANY DETAILS
The Company ARCHA MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED is incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 and operates a digital news media platform through its website and mobile application. The Platform is operated under the trademark “NEWS NEXT”, which is legally owned by the Company through a valid Assignment Deed transferring full rights, title, and interest.
This Advertisement and Sponsored Content Policy (“Policy”) is adopted, implemented, and maintained by ARCHA MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED , the Platform is operated under the trademark “NEWS NEXT”, which is legally owned by the Company through a valid Assignment Deed transferring full rights, title, and interest. (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”, “Platform”, “Website”, “We”, “Us”, or “Our”) for the purpose of regulating, governing, monitoring, reviewing, approving, publishing, displaying, distributing, promoting, labeling, and managing advertisements, sponsored content, paid promotions, native advertising, affiliate marketing materials, commercial partnerships, promotional campaigns, brand collaborations, political advertisements, public notices, and all forms of commercial communication appearing on or distributed through the Company’s websites, mobile applications, social media channels, newsletters, podcasts, video platforms, live-streaming services, digital publications, and associated media services (collectively referred to as the “Platform”).
This Policy is intended to ensure transparency, legal compliance, journalistic integrity, editorial independence, consumer protection, ethical advertising standards, cyber security protection, user trust, and regulatory accountability in all advertising-related activities conducted through the Platform.
This Policy shall be read together with the Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Data Retention Policy, Community Guidelines, Terms and Conditions, Editorial Policy, Cyber security Policy, and all other legal policies published by the Company.
The Company acknowledges and recognizes the importance of compliance with applicable laws including but not limited to the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, the Competition Act, intellectual property laws, taxation laws, advertising standards, intermediary regulations, ASCI guidelines, election laws, and all applicable international advertising, media, privacy, and consumer protection regulations wherever applicable.
- PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY
The purpose of this Policy is to establish transparent, lawful, ethical, accountable, and operationally clear standards governing advertisements and sponsored content published through the Platform.
The Company recognizes that advertisements and commercial content form an important source of revenue necessary for maintaining journalistic operations, digital publishing infrastructure, newsroom activities, content production, technological systems, and audience engagement services.
The Company further recognizes that users have a legitimate right to distinguish between independent editorial content and paid promotional content.
Accordingly, this Policy establishes disclosure obligations, content standards, advertiser responsibilities, prohibited advertising practices, review mechanisms, liability limitations, compliance obligations, and enforcement procedures.
- APPLICABILITY
This Policy shall apply to all advertisers, sponsors, agencies, marketing partners, affiliate networks, media buyers, public relations agencies, political campaigners, content promoters, brand representatives, employees, editors, contributors, journalists, contractors, vendors, influencers, and all persons or entities involved in the creation, publication, approval, review, distribution, or management of advertisements or sponsored content on the Platform.
This Policy shall apply to all forms of commercial communication including but not limited to:
Display advertisements;
Banner advertisements;
Sponsored articles;
Native advertising;
Affiliate links;
Brand collaborations;
Video advertisements;
Audio advertisements;
Social media promotions;
Newsletter sponsorships;
Podcast sponsorships;
Influencer campaigns;
Political advertisements;
Event sponsorships;
Paid press releases;
Promotional interviews;
Advertorials;
Product placements;
Sponsored reviews;
Programmatic advertisements;
Third-party advertising network content.
- DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this Policy, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions shall have the meanings assigned below.
The term “Advertisement” shall mean any paid, sponsored, promoted, marketed, endorsed, branded, or commercially communicated content intended to promote products, services, businesses, campaigns, causes, organizations, individuals, or commercial interests.
The term “Sponsored Content” shall mean any article, video, interview, podcast, graphic, publication, review, recommendation, feature, promotional material, or other content for which monetary or non-monetary consideration has been received directly or indirectly.
The term “Native Advertising” shall mean advertising content designed to resemble editorial content in form, appearance, style, or presentation.
The term “Advertiser” shall mean any individual, company, organization, political entity, agency, brand, institution, or representative purchasing or sponsoring advertisements or promotional services on the Platform.
The term “Affiliate Marketing” shall mean promotional activity through which the Company may receive commissions, referral fees, incentives, or financial benefits arising from purchases or actions performed through promotional links or recommendations.
The term “Editorial Content” shall mean independent journalistic content produced without commercial influence or sponsored consideration.
- EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE
The Company shall endeavor to maintain reasonable separation between editorial operations and advertising activities.
Advertisers, sponsors, commercial partners, or promotional agencies shall not exercise editorial control over independent journalistic reporting, investigative content, newsroom decisions, editorial viewpoints, publication timing, journalistic conclusions, or editorial integrity.
The acceptance of advertisements or sponsorships shall not constitute endorsement, certification, approval, guarantee, or verification of advertisers, products, services, claims, or opinions by the Company.
The Company reserves the sole and absolute editorial discretion to reject, modify, remove, suspend, or discontinue any advertisement or sponsored content without assigning reasons.
- IDENTIFICATION OF SPONSORED CONTENT
The Company shall endeavor to clearly label sponsored or paid content using disclosures such as “Sponsored”, “Advertisement”, “Paid Promotion”, “Partner Content”, “Advertorial”, “Promoted”, or similar identifiers wherever reasonably necessary.
Sponsored content shall not intentionally mislead users into believing that commercial material constitutes independent editorial journalism.
Native advertising and branded content may be formatted in a style similar to editorial content but shall include commercially reasonable disclosure indicators.
Users acknowledge that certain advertising technologies, programmatic advertising systems, and third-party ad-serving systems may automatically display promotional material.
- ADVERTISING CONTENT STANDARDS
All advertisements and sponsored content published on the Platform must comply with applicable laws, ethical standards, regulatory requirements, intellectual property protections, consumer protection obligations, cyber security standards, and platform guidelines.
Advertisements shall not contain unlawful, fraudulent, deceptive, defamatory, misleading, harmful, malicious, discriminatory, obscene, abusive, hateful, infringing, exploitative, or misleading material.
Advertisers shall ensure that all factual claims, representations, testimonials, pricing information, offers, discounts, warranties, product descriptions, certifications, endorsements, and promotional statements are accurate, lawful, substantiated, and not misleading.
The Company may require advertisers to provide documentary proof supporting advertising claims before publication.
- PROHIBITED ADVERTISEMENTS
The Company reserves the right to prohibit, restrict, reject, suspend, or remove advertisements relating to:
Illegal products or services;
Fraudulent investment schemes;
Ponzi schemes or deceptive financial practices;
Counterfeit products;
Intellectual property infringement;
Hate speech or discriminatory content;
Violent or extremist content;
Malware, spyware, phishing, or malicious software;
Illegal drugs or narcotics;
Human trafficking or exploitation;
Unauthorized gambling services;
Misleading health claims;
False medical treatments;
Unlicensed financial services;
Adult content prohibited by law;
Unauthorized crypto currency promotions;
Misleading political propaganda;
Election law violations;
Defamatory material;
Unauthorized data harvesting;
Fake employment schemes;
Predatory lending services;
Pyramid marketing schemes;
Deep fake manipulation intended to deceive users.
The Company may additionally prohibit advertisements that may harm user trust, journalistic integrity, platform reputation, cyber security infrastructure, public interest, or legal compliance obligations.
- POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS
Political advertisements, election-related promotions, advocacy campaigns, public issue advertisements, or politically sponsored communications may be subject to additional scrutiny, disclosure requirements, verification procedures, and legal compliance obligations.
Political advertisers shall be solely responsible for compliance with election laws, campaign finance regulations, disclosure requirements, advertising standards, and governmental directions.
The Company reserves the right to reject political advertisements at its sole discretion.
- USER DATA AND TARGETED ADVERTISING
The Platform may use cookies, analytics technologies, advertising identifiers, behavioural tracking systems, audience segmentation tools, and automated advertising technologies for advertising optimization and performance measurement.
Such activities shall be governed by the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy of the Platform.
Where required by law, user consent may be obtained before processing personal data for targeted advertising purposes.
The Company shall endeavor to implement commercially reasonable safeguards to protect advertising-related user data.
- THIRD-PARTY ADVERTISING NETWORKS
The Platform may use third-party advertising networks, ad exchanges, demand-side platforms, affiliate networks, analytics providers, sponsored content vendors, or programmatic advertising services.
Such third parties may independently collect, process, track user information through cookies, pixels, SDKs, tags, and similar technologies.
The Company does not control the operational practices of independent third-party advertising systems and shall not be responsible for their independent conduct, data practices, security standards, or legal compliance failures.
Users are encouraged to review the privacy and advertising practices of third-party providers independently.
- AFFILIATE MARKETING DISCLOSURE
The Platform may participate in affiliate marketing programs through which the Company may receive commissions, referral fees, incentives, or compensation for purchases made through affiliate links or promotional references.
Affiliate relationships shall not necessarily influence independent editorial opinions unless expressly disclosed.
The Company shall endeavor to disclose material affiliate relationships wherever reasonably required under applicable law or ethical advertising standards.
- ADVERTISER RESPONSIBILITIES
Advertisers shall be solely responsible for ensuring that their advertisements comply with applicable laws, regulations, intellectual property rights, advertising standards, taxation obligations, licensing requirements, consumer protection laws, and cyber security obligations.
Advertisers represent and warrant that they possess all necessary rights, licenses, permissions, approvals, and authorizations required for publication of advertising materials.
Advertisers shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company against claims, disputes, penalties, losses, liabilities, investigations, damages, legal proceedings, or regulatory actions arising from advertiser content or conduct.
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Advertisers shall not submit advertisements containing copyrighted material, trademarks, logos, music, videos, photographs, graphics, software, or other intellectual property without lawful authorization.
The Company reserves the right to remove allegedly infringing advertisements upon receipt of complaints, notices, court orders, takedown requests, or regulatory instructions.
Publication of advertisements shall not transfer ownership rights to advertisers over the Company’s trademarks, branding, platform identity, or editorial content.
- CYBERSECURITY AND MALICIOUS CONTENT
Advertisements shall not contain malicious code, unauthorized redirects, hidden scripts, phishing mechanisms, spyware, malware, ransomware, crypto jacking scripts, deceptive downloads, or cyber security threats.
The Company may scan, review, monitor, suspend, quarantine, or remove advertisements suspected of posing cyber security risks.
The Company reserves the right to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, cyber security authorities, regulators, and judicial bodies regarding unlawful advertising activities.
- CHILDREN AND SENSITIVE AUDIENCES
Advertisements directed toward children or vulnerable individuals shall comply with applicable child protection laws, advertising regulations, educational standards, and ethical requirements.
Advertisements shall not exploit minors, vulnerable groups, emotional distress, misinformation, fear tactics, manipulation, or psychological coercion.
The Company may impose additional restrictions on advertising categories involving health, education, finance, gaming, or age-sensitive products.
- REMOVAL, SUSPENSION, AND MODIFICATION
The Company reserves the unrestricted right to remove, suspend, reject, edit, disable, block, restrict, or modify advertisements or sponsored content at any time without prior notice.
Removal decisions may arise from legal complaints, cyber security concerns, policy violations, reputational risks, technical failures, regulatory directions, editorial concerns, public complaints, or operational requirements.
The Company shall not be obligated to refund advertising fees unless expressly agreed in writing.
- LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, the Company shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary, or special damages arising from advertisements, sponsored content, advertising interruptions, technical failures, user reliance on advertisements, third-party misconduct, advertising inaccuracies, or commercial disputes between users and advertisers.
Users interact with advertisers and sponsored content at their own discretion and risk.
The Company does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, legality, safety, effectiveness, or authenticity of advertiser claims.
- INDEMNIFICATION
Advertisers agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company, its directors, employees, affiliates, editors, journalists, contractors, service providers, licensors, successors, and representatives from and against all claims, liabilities, damages, penalties, losses, investigations, costs, legal expenses, and proceedings arising out of or relating to:
Advertising content;
Regulatory violations;
Intellectual property infringement;
Misleading claims;
Cyber security incidents;
Privacy violations;
Consumer complaints;
Breach of contractual obligations;
Unlawful promotional activities.
- GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
This Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India.
Any disputes arising out of or relating to advertisements, sponsored content, promotional campaigns, commercial relationships, or advertising activities conducted through the Platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts located at [Insert Jurisdiction], India.
The Company reserves the right to seek injunctive relief, equitable remedies, interim protection, or emergency orders before any competent court, tribunal, or regulatory authority.
- POLICY MODIFICATIONS
The Company reserves the right to amend, modify, revise, update, replace, suspend, or discontinue this Policy at any time without prior notice unless otherwise required by applicable law.
Updated versions shall become effective immediately upon publication on the Platform.
Continued use of the Platform following modifications shall constitute acknowledgment and acceptance of the revised Policy.
- CONTACT DETAILS
For any advertising inquiries, sponsorship requests, legal notices, complaints, takedown requests, or policy-related communications, users may contact:
Advertising Compliance Officer / Grievance Officer
ARUN
ARCHA MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
Door No:2/19(6),Kanchan complex.NH 66,Giliyar Village,Kota Post,Brahmavara -TQ,Udupi-Dist,Karnataka-576221
Email:newsnextdotlive@gmail.com
Contact Number: 7975523349
The Company shall endeavor to review lawful complaints and requests within reasonable timelines prescribed under applicable law.
- ACKNOWLEDGMENT
By publishing, submitting, purchasing, viewing, interacting with, or otherwise engaging with advertisements or sponsored content on the Platform, advertisers and users acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to this Advertisement and Sponsored Content Policy and agree to comply with all applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, ethical, and operational obligations described herein.
