We take our role of protecting children seriously. Together with other media regulators we have developed ParentPort, a website that offers parents guidance on the standards that businesses and organisations have to follow across media, making it easier to register a complaint or provide feedback on a particular issue to the relevant regulator.  

Below we provide:

  •  More information for parents on the ASA’s role in protecting children
  • A useful download leaflet which summarises our rules
  • Guidance on how to make a complaint or provide feedback to us 

Advertising and children 

We class a child as anyone under the age of 16.

All advertisers in the UK have a responsibility to follow the Advertising Codes which require that ads addressed to, targeted directly at, or featuring children do not contain anything that will cause them physical, mental, or moral harm.  

We make sure that this responsibility is fulfilled in ads across all UK media including:
 
  • TV
  • Radio
  • Websites
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Email
  • Texts
  • Direct mail 

We want to hear from you

Our decisions are guided by the public’s views and we want to hear what you think about advertising as a parent.
 

Have a complaint?

If you have concerns about an ad which you think is potentially harmful, irresponsible, or inappropriate for children please make a complaint. Just one complaint can lead to an advertisement being amended or withdrawn. 
 

Have your say

If you don’t have a specific concern about an ad but would like to express your opinion on advertising in general or have a question then we’d love to hear from you.
 

Useful links for parents

If the ASA cannot help but you want to ensure your voice is heard then it may be worth contacting a children or parenting organisation that can raise your concerns more widely on your behalf. Below is a list of some organisations that represent the interests of parents and children:
 
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