Consumers
Each year, the UK public sees many millions of advertisements, direct marketing and promotions. Although the vast majority comply with the rules set out in the Advertising Codes, if you see something you think isn’t right you can complain to us.
In this section, you’ll find everything you need to know about how to make a complaint to us. You can also find out about the other work we do to keep advertisements legal, decent, honest and truthful.
Plus there’s a page for parents if you’re interested in finding out more about how we regulate advertising that children might see.
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Visit our FAQs.
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Find out about our complaints process, in particular the things to think about before you make a complaint and what to expect during the complaints process.
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We deal with most types of ads but not all, but if we can’t deal with your complaint ourselves, we will try to help you contact the right body. This section will tell you which types of ads we can look into, and which ones we can’t.
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In certain circumstances, you can request an Independent Review of an ASA Council ruling, including a Council decision not to investigate a complaint further.
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We don’t just wait for complaints to come in; we proactively check the media to make sure the Codes and our rulings are being followed.
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We’ve compiled fact sheets and articles about some of the important issues we deal with on behalf of the public and advertisers. Links to "News and Resources" section.
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We take our role protecting children seriously. We know that parents are concerned about what their children might see and sometimes feel powerless to act on their concerns. This section provides an explanation of our work for parents and carers and provides information about what you can do if you’re worried about something a child has seen.
