Cross border complaints
If your complaint is about an advertisement that originated from a country outside the UK, then it will be treated as a cross-border complaint. This means that the ASA will refer the complaint, through EASA, to the regulator in the country where the ad originated. Like other complaints to the ASA, cross-border complaints are handled free of charge.
The ASA has a designated Cross-Border Complaints Executive who will keep in contact with you throughout the complaints process.
Which countries are included?
Currently, self-regulatory bodies representing 24 European countries are members of the EASA:
| Austria |
Hungary |
Romania |
| Belgium |
Ireland |
Slovakia |
| Bulgaria |
Italy |
Slovenia |
| Czech Republic |
Lithuania |
Spain |
| Finland |
Luxembourg |
Sweden |
| France |
The Netherlands |
Switzerland |
| Germany |
Poland |
Turkey |
| Greece |
Portugal |
United Kingdom |
How do I complain about an ad from outside Europe?
The ASA is still your first point of contact for complaints about ads that originate outside Europe. The following countries all have links with EASA:
| Australia |
Chile |
South Africa |
| Brazil |
India |
United States |
| Canada |
New Zealand |
|
How do I complain about an ad from a country that has no links with EASA?
The ASA will still act on complaints about ads which come from countries with no links to EASA. The ASA will identify and work with the relevant country regulator. Where it is not possible to refer the complaint, the ASA will take steps to act on the complaint. Although we will do our best to resolve the issue, our powers are limited when it comes to ads outside our jurisdiction.