The Swedish Consumer Ombudsman System and Advertising Self‐Regulation

The Swedish consumer‐protection system is often perceived as resting on a strong body of laws and regulations that severely constrains business behavior from the outside. In fact, its development and implementation have involved significant business participation and influence; and it largely relies on government‐issued guidelines based on business self‐regulatory experience and resulting from intensive negotiations with business rather than on detailed mandatory rules. In this context, the conflict between advertising regulation and self‐regulation is more apparent than real.