Welcome to the ASA

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK's independent regulator of advertising across all media, including TV, internet, sales promotions and direct marketing. Our role is to ensure ads are legal, decent, honest and truthful by applying the Advertising Codes.

Complaints

Each year, there are many millions of ads, direct marketing communications, sales promotions and digital communications in the UK. Our regular Compliance surveys tell us that the vast majority comply with the Advertising Codes. The ASA is here to tackle the ones that don't.

How to complain

“Many millions of ads, promotions and direct mail are seen in the UK each year”

“26,433 complaints received”

“It can take just one complaint to change or remove a problematic ad”

“Complaints resolved within an average of 13 days ”

“2,475 ads changed or withdrawn”

“ASA is nearly 50 years old”

“Complaints total less than 1% of all advertising”

“45% of all complaints to the ASA are about misleading claims”

“UK Advertising Codes are some of the strictest in the world”

“99% of internet ads comply with the rules”

“On average, 97% of ads are in line with the Codes”

Latest adjudications

Anglian Water Services Ltd

A promotional feature in a magazine, which aimed to reassure mothers-to-be about the quality of...

Best Direct (International) Ltd

Monitoring Staff viewed an infomercial for the Gymform Abs & Core, a vibrating belt on Best...

Craniosacral Therapy Association

A leaflet, for Craniosacral Therapy, stated “Craniosacral Therapy is a hands-on therapy which...

Decidebloom Ltd t/a Stoneacre Motor Group

An ad in a free local newspaper was headed “Spring into your next car with Stoneacre Motor...

National Express Group t/a Stansted Express

Various posters at Stansted airport included an image of a train, the text "35 MINUTES" or "TRAIN...

Optical Express Ltd

An e-mail containing an offer for laser eye surgery stated “Optical Express has more experience...

Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Ltd

A TV ad showed a woman at the supermarket checkout. The male voice-over stated "A cheap water...

Hot topics

Children and advertising

Protecting children has always been at the heart of our work: in 1962 - the ASA’s very first year of operation – one of our priorities was to look into ads for horror films and their potential to scare children. Ensuring that children are not exposed to potentially harmful or inappropriate advertising has remained an ongoing commitment, a fact underlined by a recent public consultation on the Advertising Codes which resulted in enhanced protections for children being introduced.

Broadband: A need for speed

We have asked the Advertising Code writing bodies (CAP and BCAP) to review broadband speed claims in advertisements as part of a wider look at advertising in the telecommunications sector. The aim is to provide guidance to bring advertisers up-to-speed on how to advertise their services and protect consumers from being misled.

Alcohol

Alcohol advertisements are subject to stringent rules that are designed to ensure it is promoted in a socially responsible way and to protect young people.

Latest news

Landmark agreement extends ASA’s digital remit

Our remit is to be extended significantly to deliver more comprehensive consumer protection online. From next year, marketing communications online will be subject to rules to keep them legal, decent, honest and truthful.

New Advertising Codes are here

New Advertising Codes come into effect today. The new Advertising Codes will help the ASA to continue to respond quickly and effectively to concerns about ads that are potentially misleading, harmful or offensive.

Final countdown for new Advertising Codes

The ASA is giving advertisers a final reminder that new Advertising Codes will come into effect on 1 September. The Codes maintain the general principles that ads should be legal, decent, honest and truthful but include enhanced protections for consumers, and in particular children.