Harmful

All ads should be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and society. They must not cause serious or widespread harm or use approaches that are likely to encourage socially irresponsible behaviour.

This includes not causing fear or distress without justifiable reason (and where justified, the fear or distress should not be excessive) and not condoning or encouraging unsafe practice.

We have upheld complaints about harm and social responsibility against a diverse range of ads including:

Alcohol – e.g. not encouraging excessive or unwise styles of drinking
Motoring – e.g. not encouraging motorists to drive irresponsibly such as at high speed or without a seatbelt
Health – e.g. not discouraging essential treatment of serious or prolonged ailments
Body Image – e.g. not encouraging an unhealthy diet or lifestyle including the depiction of extremely thin models

Particularly special care should be taken when ads are addressed to, or depict, children or young people. Ads that fall in to this category should contain nothing that is likely to result in a child’s physical, mental or moral harm and they should not exploit a child’s credulity, loyalty, vulnerability or lack of experience.

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Latest rulings

Spectrum Awakening
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 03 July 2024
A paid-for Facebook ad for Spectrum Awakening, a food supplement supplier, seen in March 2024 featured text that stated, "My 5 yr old son Scout is diagnosed with receptive expressive language disorder and sensory disorder. Until I found Spectrum Awakening he could barely put a sentence together with very limited s...
Alzheimer's Society
- Not Upheld
- 05 June 2024
Three TV ads and a radio ad for a charity were not irresponsible, did not cause serious or widespread offence, and did not cause unjustifiable distress.
iVape London Ltd
- Upheld
- 05 June 2024
An email broke the rules by directly promoting to consumers unlicensed nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and their components.
Sparks Information PTE Ltd t/a Hunting Sniper
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 03 April 2024
A paid-for Facebook ad for Hunting Sniper, a mobile app game, featured realistic footage of harm to animals, which was likely to cause widespread offence and unjustified distress.

View all rulings

Harmful

All ads should be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and society. They must not cause serious or widespread harm or use approaches that are likely to encourage socially irresponsible behaviour.

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