Politics and public services - ASA

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majority of our work, around 70%, involves responding to and tackling concerns about misleading advertising. A specific issue in this area involves ads which use trade-marks, trade names or other distinguishing marks of competitors when they don’t have the permission to.<br /> <br /> The advertising rules state advertisers must not claim that they, or their products, have been approved, endorsed or authorised by a public or private body if they have not. Furthermore, they can’t imply that their product or service is endorsed, supported or approved by an official or government body unless, of course, it is.</p> <p>Implied endorsement can be as simple as including official bodies’ logos or names in an ad but can also take the form of more subtle suggestion. The use of trade bodies’ logos and BSI (British Standards Institute) kite marks are strictly controlled by the terms of membership or registration and, without explicit permission; ads should not use such logos or marks.<br /> <br /> Legitimate ads for public services must take into consideration the rules for third sector organisations. They must hold evidence for all their claims and be careful not to harm or offend the general public.<br /> <br /> Our rules also apply to charities, NHS services, other public-funded services, and government campaigns. We cover political subject matter and websites of political parties but we don't regulate electoral propaganda.<br /> <br /> In 1999, the advertising rules were changed to exclude any ad whose principal function was influencing voters in local, regional, national or international elections or referenda. Several factors influenced this decision, including the short, fixed timeframes over which elections run and the absence of consensus between the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Parties to bring political advertising wholly within the scope of the rules.</p> The matter was referred, on separate occasions, to the Neill Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Electoral Commission who both agreed this type of advertising should not fall under our remit. However it was recommended a separate set of rules should be established by political parties in partnership with the advertising industry; however this has still never come to fruition. </div> <a class="show-more-less-button"><span class="more-label">+ Read more</span> <span class="less-label">- Show less</span></a> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-4">  <div class="share-page-widget"> <p class="share-page-widget-item-holder"> <a href="#" class="favourites-button element-with-icon" data-action = "add" data-target-id = "2A55BFF3-58B2-4C2C-BA8348DA3620CCE9" data-target-type = "topic" > <span class="font-icon font-icon-Artboard-Copy-295"></span> <strong>Add to my favourites</strong> </a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>   <div class="horizontal-listing-area"> <div class="container"> <ul class="horizontal-listing"> <li class="horizontal-listing-item is-active"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/topic/Politics_and_public_services.html" >Politics and public services</a> </li> <li 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href="https://www.asa.org.uk/topic/Children_and_the_vulnerable.html" >Children and the vulnerable</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div>   <div class="breadcrumb"> <div class="container"> <ul class="breadcrumb-list"> <li class="breadcrumb-list-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/">Home</a> </li> <li class="breadcrumb-list-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/issues-and-topics.html">Issues and topics</a> </li> <li class="breadcrumb-list-item"> Politics and public services </li> </ul> </div> </div>   <div class="contents"> <div class="main-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-6">  <div class="widget"> <h2 class="heading">Latest news</h2> <ul class="icon-listing mod-bordered"> <li class="icon-listing-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/why-the-asa-doesn-t-regulate-political-ads.html" class="font-icon font-icon-file-o icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/why-the-asa-doesn-t-regulate-political-ads.html">Why the ASA doesn鈥檛 regulate political ads </a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">ASA blog post</span> </li> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">02 May 2024</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="icon-listing-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/why-we-don-t-regulate-political-ads.html" class="font-icon font-icon-file-o icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/why-we-don-t-regulate-political-ads.html">Why we don't regulate political ads</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">ASA News</span> </li> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">26 April 2023</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="icon-listing-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/we-think-political-advertising-should-be-regulated.html" class="font-icon font-icon-file-o icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/we-think-political-advertising-should-be-regulated.html">We think political advertising should be regulated</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">ASA opinion piece</span> </li> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">03 June 2020</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="icon-listing-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/brexit-cap-and-bcap-code-rules.html" class="font-icon font-icon-file-o icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/brexit-cap-and-bcap-code-rules.html">Brexit: CAP and BCAP Code rules</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">CAP News</span> </li> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">28 January 2020</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="icon-listing-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/rulings-podcast-gender-politics-and-activism.html" class="font-icon font-icon-file-o icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/rulings-podcast-gender-politics-and-activism.html">Rulings Podcast: Gender, Politics and Activism</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">ASA News</span> </li> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">01 November 2019</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="icon-listing-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/why-we-don-t-cover-political-ads.html" class="font-icon font-icon-file-o icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/news/why-we-don-t-cover-political-ads.html">Why we don't cover political ads</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">ASA and CAP News</span> </li> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">15 August 2019</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> </ul> <div class="show-more"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-and-resources/news.html?topic=2A55BFF3-58B2-4C2C-BA8348DA3620CCE9" class="show-more-link">View all news</a> </div> </div>  </div> <div class="col-md-6">  <div class="widget"> <h2 class="heading">Latest rulings</h2> <p>No ruling found.</p> </div>  </div> </div> </div>  </div>  </div>   <div class="cap-area general-container"> <div class="container"> <div class="cap-area-header"> <img src="../../../assets/img/logos/logo-cap.png" alt="logo-cap" class="cap-area-header-image" /> <h1 class="font-color-grey">Help getting it right</h1> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-6">  <div class="widget"> <h2 class="heading">Popular advice</h2> <ul class="icon-listing mod-bordered"> <li class="icon-listing-item resource-item mod-blue"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/resource/regulatory-statement-on-harm-and-protected-characteristics.html" class="font-icon font-icon-file-pdf-o icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/resource/regulatory-statement-on-harm-and-protected-characteristics.html">Regulatory statement on harm and protected characteristics</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">Research / Report / Survey</span> </li> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">Consultations</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="icon-listing-item resource-item mod-blue"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/political-advertising.html" class="font-icon font-icon-file-o icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/political-advertising.html">Political Advertising</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">AdviceOnline</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> </ul> <div class="show-more"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-and-resources/resource-library/resource-search-results.html?topic=2A55BFF3-58B2-4C2C-BA8348DA3620CCE9" class="show-more-link">View all articles</a> </div> </div>  </div> <div class="col-md-6">  <div class="widget"> <h2 class="heading">Relevant codes</h2> <ul class="icon-listing mod-bordered"> <li class="icon-listing-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/07.html" class="font-icon font-icon-Open-book-2 icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/07.html">07 Political advertisements</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">Non-broadcast</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="icon-listing-item"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/type/broadcast/code_section/07.html" class="font-icon font-icon-Open-book-2 icon-holder u-perfect-round"></a> <div class="icon-listing-item-content"> <h4 class="heading"><a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/type/broadcast/code_section/07.html">07 Political and controversial matters</a></h4> <ul class="meta-listing"> <li class="meta-listing-item"> <span class="caption">Broadcast</span> </li> </ul> </div> </li> </ul> <div class="show-more"> <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/search.html?type=broadcastcode,code&topic=2A55BFF3-58B2-4C2C-BA8348DA3620CCE9" class="show-more-link">View all</a> </div> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div>  </div> <div id="message-login-popup" class="white-popup mfp-hide"> <div class='magnific-popup mfp-video-popup'> <div class='white-popup-content'> <header> <button type='button' class='remove-link 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