regulatory agency
A government body that writes and enforces rules for a particular industry or activity to protect the public interest.
Definition
A regulatory agency sets standards, monitors compliance and can penalize violations in a defined sector, such as food safety, telecommunications, advertising claims or financial services. It often has powers to issue licenses, investigate complaints and publish guidance. Marketing and advertising agencies encounter them when campaigns must meet truth-in-advertising, privacy or sector-specific rules. Because the rules differ by country and sector, check which regulators apply to each campaign. Compliance responsibilities often appear in agency contracts. It is worth bookmarking the regulator's guidance pages for your sector, since they are usually the most reliable statement of how rules are applied in practice.
In a sentence
The regulatory agency issued guidance on how to label sponsored posts.
The campaign claims were checked against the rules of the relevant regulator.
