Advertising Regulatory Bodies and Complaining

Originally written by Haydn Mullineux, updated by the editorial team on 7th July 2026

What the Advertising Standards Authority does

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK's independent regulator for advertising. It handles complaints about adverts across television, radio, online, print and direct mail.

The ASA was established by the advertising industry but operates at arm's length from it. Its job is to make sure adverts in the UK are legal, honest and truthful. It does this by applying the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing (the CAP Code) and the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (the BCAP Code).

The ASA's remit has expanded over time. It took on responsibility for regulating online advertising in 2011, bringing digital ads under the same complaints system as traditional media. Today it covers print adverts in newspapers and magazines, online banner ads and pop-ups, direct mail, brochures, TV commercials and radio spots. If you see or hear something that strikes you as misleading, harmful or offensive, the ASA is usually the right place to report it.

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When you can make a complaint

Anyone can complain to the ASA. You do not need to be directly affected by an advert to raise a concern. Common complaint reasons include:

An advert makes claims that appear false or exaggerated
Content that seems offensive, harmful or irresponsible
Adverts that target children inappropriately
Misleading pricing or hidden conditions
Unwanted direct mail or marketing materials

The ASA will not usually look into matters of personal taste alone, but it will consider whether an advert is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. It also handles complaints about promotions and competitions that have not been run fairly.

If your complaint relates to faulty goods or unfulfilled orders from a shopping channel or mail order company, you may need to contact Trading Standards or another consumer protection body instead, as these issues often fall outside the ASA's advertising remit.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

How to submit your complaint

You can most conveniently submit a complaint via the ASA website. There is an online form where you can describe the advert and explain your concern. You can also upload images or screenshots if you have them, which can help the ASA identify exactly what you are referring to.

When filling in the form, try to include as much detail as possible: where and when you saw the advert, what product or service it was promoting, and what specifically concerned you. The more information you provide, the easier it is for the ASA to assess your complaint.

Complaints are free to make and the ASA aims to acknowledge them within a few days. If your complaint falls outside the ASA's remit, they will usually point you towards the appropriate body.

What happens after you complain

Once the ASA receives your complaint, it will assess whether there may be a breach of the advertising codes. Not every complaint leads to a formal investigation. In some cases, the ASA may resolve the matter informally by contacting the advertiser directly.

If a formal investigation takes place and the ASA finds the advert breaks the rules, it can require the advertiser to withdraw or amend the advert. Advertisers who repeatedly break the codes may face further sanctions, including referral to Trading Standards or Ofcom.

The ASA publishes its rulings online, allowing you to review outcomes of past complaints and understand how similar issues are resolved.

For broadcast advertising on TV or radio, Ofcom is the statutory regulator. However, the ASA handles complaints about broadcast adverts through a co-regulatory arrangement, meaning you should still complain to the ASA in the first instance. If your concern relates to programme content rather than advertising, you would contact Ofcom directly.

Further details on advertising standards and how to complain can be found on the ASA website at asa.org.uk.

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6 questions

Ask Complaint Expert a Question

ComplaintExpert Editor 07/07/2026 at 8:35 am

@pete Good, that confirmation means it is logged and being looked at, so no, it will not just disappear. What you hear next depends on the route it takes. If the ASA decides there are no grounds to pursue it, they will normally write back to tell you so, usually with a short reason. If they take it up with the advertiser, many cases are settled informally, which means the advertiser agrees to change or withdraw the ad without a formal published ruling, and you may only get a brief note confirming that. If it goes to a full formal investigation, the decision is published in the weekly rulings on asa.org.uk, which come out on Wednesdays, so search there under the advertiser or product name.

So you should get some form of result rather than silence, but the amount of detail varies, and informal resolutions are not always published. If a few weeks pass and you have heard nothing, contact the ASA quoting your complaint reference and ask for an update, as they are used to that. Keep the reference number and any emails in case you need to chase it.

pete 07/07/2026 at 8:30 am

i have had confirmation of complaint from asa . can i expect any further information or does it just dissapear intothe ether?

pete 07/07/2026 at 8:26 am

i recently complained about a tv advert to asa , how do i find if any action taken

ComplaintExpert Editor 19/05/2026 at 9:20 am

@Sidanddick You're right to be irked by those ads, plenty of viewers find the tone grating and the wordplay a bit much for daytime telly. If you want to do something about it, lodge a complaint with the ASA at asa.org.uk, they handle both broadcast and online ads and they do act when enough people kick up a fuss. Be specific about which ad, when you saw it, and why you think it's offensive or harmful. The more detail, the better the chance it gets investigated.

Sidanddick 13/02/2025 at 3:49 pm

The 'On the Beach' advertisements on the TV and radio are of a degrading attitude. Misbehaved children being the nom, and double etendues. 'eg' Are you silly bookers'. This is not the correct way to portray normal life, or is the standard from now on.

chunixyiwa 27/06/2011 at 10:47 pm

Shopping channels should be obliged by law to allow access to their website payment procedure for as long as they are on air. Switching off this facility and only taking 'phoned in orders when busy is surely unfair, unsatisfactory and probably unlawful when done continuously. Also, when they keep stipulating that the customer may return goods within 30 days for full reimbursement, they should on receipt of the returned articles refund the money immediately and not some weeks later. They should also refund the delivery charge where the articles were faulty or the original packaging interfered with leading to leaked contents or stained goods.

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