The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) receives complaints about all types of advertising.
This includes:
- Advertisements placed in any media (including advertiser’s own media channels), including but not limited to social media channels (including Meta [Facebook, Instagram], Snapchat, TikTok, Google [YouTube], X and any other new social media platforms) and includes user-generated content, content via influencers and content creators, videos, apps, advergaming, out of home (for example, billboards, street posters, bus shelters and buses), streaming services (including subscription-based, on-demand television and radio streaming), digital and digital display, television, connected TV, cinema, radio, print (including newspapers, magazines), native advertising, websites, podcasts, webinars, email, SMS/phone, addressed and unaddressed mail, brochures and point-of-sale material.
- Applications or games designed by an advertiser to draw attention to a particular product or business.
- Advertorials and infomercials.
- User-generated content which is communicated via a site or digital platform over which the advertiser has direct or indirect control.
- Alcohol product names, labelling, and packaging.
Every complaint received is assessed, to check it comes within ASA jurisdiction. The Complaints Board Chair can decide, at their sole discretion, whether a complaint will be accepted. To guide them in this decision the Chair considers the ASA Rules, the ASA Codes, jurisdiction and relevant precedent decisions.
ASA waiver process
Under the ASA Rules the complainant is asked to waive the right to take or continue proceedings against the advertiser, publisher or broadcaster concerned (this to avoid the possibility of the Board’s determination being used as a ‘trial run’ for further action). If a consumer wishes to complain about an advertisement to other agencies, they should do that prior to raising the matter with the ASA.
ASA process if complaints are outside our jurisdiction
If a complaint is received about content outside the ASA’s jurisdiction, the complainant will be advised. Information on our jurisdiction will be provided to help the complainant consider if they wish to take the complaint elsewhere.
What is outside the ASA’s jurisdiction?
The ASA will not consider complaints about items which do not meet the ASA definition of advertising and advertisement(s) or about issues that are not covered by the Advertising Standards Codes.
The following list is a guide to the types of issues which are outside our jurisdiction. Please note this list is not exhaustive and it illustrates how the ASA approaches different types of complaints.