Thematic issues
The ASA’s 2024-2028 strategy, AI-assisted collective ad regulation sets out how we will prioritise protecting vulnerable people, using research tools to understand the ad-related issues that are the most important for us to tackle.
We commissioned independent research agency, YouGov, to conduct a UK-wide online survey of over 6,500 respondents (aged 16+)[1]. In the first of a series of reports, looking at the key findings from the survey, we focus on the thematic ad-related issues people have concerns about.
Advertising concerns in context
Before exploring the public’s concerns around advertising in detail, it was important to contextualise those by understanding their priority concerns, including issues relating to the wider media landscape[2].
When asked about their top three concerns from the list below, the availability of healthcare services tops the list, mentioned by 54% of the UK population. This is followed by the cost of weekly shopping/household bills (48%) and concerns around climate change (34%). The media landscape is the least mentioned issue, with 6% of the UK population saying it is one of their top three concerns.
Broadly similar rankings are seen across each of the UK nations, although the proportion of each nation’s population mentioning different issues varies. For example, those in Scotland are significantly more likely to mention conflicts around the world (40%) and Northern Ireland is particularly concerned about the availability of healthcare services (67%). The media landscape ranks as the least important concern across all four nations.
Exploring this further, we asked respondents about their top three concerns relating to the broader media landscape, including some relating to advertising.[3]
Misinformation or ‘fake news’ (46%) is the most mentioned issue, followed by a perceived lack of impartial news sources (29%) and the use of deep fakes (28%). Around one in ten mention misleading, harmful or seriously offensive ads (11%) as one of their top three concerns – and a similar proportion mention concerns around the amount of advertising (10%).
While responses are relatively consistent across the nations, we found some notable differences across demographic groups. Men are more likely than women to mention a lack of impartial news sources (men 33%, women 25%) and foreign ownership of media (men 19%, women 10%). In contrast, women are more likely to mention concerns around offensive or hateful content online (women 29%, men 19%) and sexual/pornographic content (women 14%, men 8%).
Those aged 16-34 are more likely to be concerned about the use of AI in the media (26%); adults aged 35-54 are more likely to mention misinformation (49%); and adults aged 55 or over are more likely to mention illegal content (25%).
These findings demonstrate that across the wide variety of issues concerning people, such as the availability of healthcare services and household bills, the media landscape ranks lowest. When we examine views about the media landscape in more details, we see that topics such as misinformation/’fake news’ are of much greater concern than issues focused on advertising.
Although concerns around ads that may be misleading, harmful or seriously offensive are relatively low, that’s not to say the adverse impacts of these ads, which the public experiences in difference ways, should be dismissed. As the UK’s advertising regulator, it’s important for us to explore those concerns further to inform our priorities and identify the issues that are the most important for us to tackle.
Advertising concerns: Focus on thematic issues
We presented respondents with a list of descriptions to help define misleading[4], harmful[5] and seriously offensive [6] ads and asked how concerned they were about each. We found that 84% of the UK population is concerned about misleading ads (44% say they are very concerned) and 74% say they are concerned about harmful ads (40% saying they are very concerned). When asked about offensive ads, 31% say they are fairly concerned and 29% are very concerned, a total of 60%.
The survey went on to explore concerns around a range of specific ad-related topics. Respondents were presented with a list of issues and asked which ones they were concerned about. They were not limited to the number of issues they could mention – those selecting more than one were also asked to select the one they are most concerned about. This helps to provide both a wide perspective of the issues and a more focused one.
This report insight focuses on the list of thematic ad-related topics we asked about, some of which fall within the ASA’s remit and others that do not (e.g., political advertising).[7]
The survey shows almost two-thirds (64%) of the UK population is concerned about scams or fraudulent advertising and 31% say, that of the issues asked about in this list, it is the one they are most concerned about. Scams are the top concern across each of the nations and the ranking of other concerns is broadly consistent. Mentions of scam ads are significantly higher amongst those aged 55 or over (74%); those from the ABC1 socio-economic group (66%); and those who told us their day-to-day activities are limited by a health problem or disability[8] (67%).
Children seeing or hearing ads that are targeted at an adult audience (e.g. because of the product being advertised, or the nature of the content) is mentioned by 46% of the UK population aged 16 or over[9] - with 16% saying it is the issue they are most concerned about.
Analysis by age group shows that, with the exception of the use of AI and political advertising, those aged 55 or over are more likely to be concerned about all of the issues listed.
We also asked those who said they were concerned about each issue, who the focus of that concern is – are they worried about it for themselves, is their concern on behalf of others in society, or both? The results of this question add further context to the findings and highlight some interesting differences across the issues.
56% of those mentioning scams/fraudulent advertising as one of their concerns say they are equally concerned about this for themselves and others in society – a further 34% say they are only concerned about others in society. The use of AI (64%) and the use of deep fakes (60%) in advertising are also issues people are equally as concerned about for themselves and others in society.
We found receiving targeted or personalised ads is the issue that most are concerned about on a personal basis. 36% of those who say they are concerned about receiving ads targeted at them based on their online browsing history, are most concerned for themselves.
The protection of children is a key societal concern, with 64% who say they are concerned about children seeing/hearing ads targeted to an adult audience and 68% of those concerned about ads for products that are illegal to be sold to under-18s,saying they are most concerned for others in society. This is particularly the case for those without children. Parents, on the other hand, are more likely to say their concerns are personal or equally focused on themselves and others.
Exploring key concerns
This research helps us understand people’s views about advertising in the context of the issues they are most concerned about. It also shows that while some issues are a concern to the wider population, others are more specific to certain groups in society.
We recently published an update on the impact of the Scam Ad Alert system we operate in partnership with major online and social media platforms to help tackle scams ads in paid-for space online. And in December 2024, we published the findings of our monitoring study looking at the online supply pathway of age-restricted ads. The report presents a generally positive picture of how the industry is working to limit children’s exposure to age-restricted ads on websites and YouTube channels disproportionately popular with children – and provides insights that should help to further reduce children’s exposure to age-restricted ads online.
These examples demonstrate how we’ve already explored some of the key concerns highlighted in this first report and in the coming weeks we will be publishing further results from our survey that are helping to prioritise our work to protect vulnerable people and ensure ads across all media are legal, decent, honest and truthful
[1] Research was conducted by YouGov Plc on behalf of the ASA. The total sample size was 6,808 respondents aged 16+. Fieldwork was undertaken between 8th - 29th July 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 16+). Analysis of results was conducted by the ASA.
[2] Conclusions presented in this analysis are based on responses to the list of topics asked about in each question. So, for example, when we say respondents are ‘most concerned about...’, this is limited to the list of issues asked about in the same question.
[3] Conclusions presented in this analysis are based on responses to the list of topics asked about in each question. So, for example, when we say respondents are ‘most concerned about...’, this is limited to the list of issues asked about in the same question.
[4] Definition given: By misleading advertising, we mean any advertising that you would consider, on the basis of what you know or very strongly suspect to be, deceptive or to give the wrong idea or impression of a product or service. This can be either intentional or unintentional and by omission.
5 Definition given: By harmful advertising, we mean any advertising that you would consider is capable of causing social, moral, mental or physical harm.
6 Definition given: By seriously offensive advertising, we mean any advertising that you would consider to be upsetting, hurtful or insulting to yourself or others.
7 Conclusions presented in this analysis are based on responses to the list of topics asked about in each question. So, for example, when we say respondents are ‘most concerned about...’, this is limited to the list of issues asked about in the same question.