Clearcast Moves Into Digital Ad Clearance With AI Tools 'iClear' and 'allClear'
TL;DR: Clearcast, the body that clears UK TV ads, is moving into digital for the first time with an AI checker (iClear) and a human review service (allClear) that vet online campaigns against the CAP Code before they run.
What Clearcast is launching
Clearcast, long the clearance gatekeeper for UK broadcast advertising, is extending its remit to digital. It has launched iClear, an AI pre-screening tool built with Northell that lets advertisers upload scripts, images and video to assess compliance against the CAP Code, and allClear, a human expert review service that adds defensive support if the ASA later investigates.
The initial focus is on five higher-risk areas: food and drink, alcohol, gambling, harm and offence, and misleading advertising. Managing director Sam Smith framed the move as bringing broadcast-grade rigour to online campaigns.
Marketing Minute's read: a compliance layer is maturing online
Digital advertising has never had a real pre-publication clearance step the way TV does. That gap is exactly why the ASA spends so much time issuing rulings after the fact. A trusted institution offering pre-screening — with AI for speed and humans for judgement — is a sign the online ecosystem is finally professionalising its compliance.
The AI-plus-human structure is the smart part. Automated checks catch the obvious breaches cheaply and instantly; human reviewers handle the grey areas where tone, context and 'harm and offence' actually get decided. That is the right division of labour for a rulebook that is more about judgement than keywords.
What advertisers should do
For brands in regulated categories, pre-clearance is cheap insurance. A banned ad is not just a wasted media spend — it is reputational damage and, increasingly, a headline. Building a clearance step into the digital workflow is the kind of unglamorous process discipline that pays for itself the first time it stops a costly mistake.
The broader signal is that 'we'll fix it if the ASA complains' is becoming an untenable posture. As scrutiny of gambling, alcohol and men's-health advertising intensifies, the brands that screen first will move faster and safer than those that gamble on getting away with it.
Quick FAQ
What are iClear and allClear?
iClear is Clearcast's AI-powered tool for pre-screening digital ads against the CAP Code, built with Northell. allClear is its human expert review service, which also offers defensive support in the event of an ASA investigation.
Which ad categories does it cover first?
Clearcast's digital service initially focuses on five higher-risk areas: food and drink, alcohol, gambling, harm and offence, and misleading advertising.
Why does digital ad clearance matter now?
Unlike TV, digital advertising has lacked a pre-publication clearance step, leaving the ASA to rule after the fact. Pre-screening reduces the risk of banned ads, wasted spend and reputational damage as online scrutiny rises.
Digital never had TV's pre-flight check, which is why the ASA is forever cleaning up after the fact. Clearcast bringing AI-plus-human clearance online is overdue — and for anyone in gambling, alcohol or men's health, screening first is now simply cheaper than apologising later. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The takeaway: in regulated categories, pre-clearance is cheap insurance — 'fix it if the ASA complains' is no longer a safe strategy as online scrutiny intensifies.
Should pre-clearance become standard practice for all digital advertising, or only the high-risk categories?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Advanced Television, Campaign.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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