The IAB has taken a proactive stance on the regulation of online advertising, appointing media and technology lawyer Samantha Yorke to the newly created role of director of regulatory affairs.

Her appointment, which is effective immediately, will see her developing strategies for, and representing the views of IAB members on, regulatory issues affecting the online advertising industry such as self regulation, privacy, advertising standards and media convergence.

CEO of IAB Australia, Paul Fisher, says Yorke’s appointment adds significant depth of experience in digital regulation and online consumer public policy issues to the IAB. “Having worked with her last year in establishing the Australian Digital Advertising Alliance (ADAA)  I am confident we have appointed a true advocate for the digital industry and look forward to working closely with her as we develop and communicate strong positions on a range of regulatory issues,” Fisher says.

Yorke, who was most recently legal director, Asia Pacific, for Yahoo!, has also worked as corporate attorney with Microsoft based in London and working across Europe.

The IAB now has more than 130 members including some of the industry’s largest advertisers, agencies and publishers and an expanded Board including Google and SBS.  PWC’s Online Advertising Expenditure research due to be released in mid-August is expected to reveal the industry is on course to reach $3bn in advertising this year, and is on track to exceed TV advertising in 2013 and print advertising in 2014.