Advertising Standards Authority

Remit

The Advertising Standards Authority regulates the content of advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing in the UK.

We make sure standards are kept high by applying the advertising standards codes.

We can stop misleading, harmful or offensive advertising. We can ensure sales promotions are run fairly. We can help reduce unwanted commercial mail - either sent through the post, by e-mail or by text message - and we can resolve problems with mail order purchases.

Council members

• Chris Smith - ASA Chairman, former Environment Agency chair, and chair of fracking industry-sponsored Task Force on Shale Gas
• James Best - Chairman of BMP DDB, which is an advertising company.
• Sally Cartwright - Worked as the publishing director of Hello! Magazine.
• Baroness Jean Coussins - Used to be chief executive of The Portman Group an industry-funded body which promoted sensible drinking by consumers and responsible marketing by producers.
• Elizabeth Fagan - Managing director of Boots Opticians.
• Christine Farnish - Public Policy Director at Barclays.
• Sunil Gadhia - Chief Executive Officer of the City law firm Stephenson Harwood, which is a law firm has contacts in the Asian Banking Networks.
• Alison Goodman - Major Donor Development Executive at the charity Terrence Higgins Trust.
• David Harker - chief executive of Citizens Advice, the national body that leads and supports Citizens Advice Bureaux.
• Gareth Jones - Chair of Christian Theology at Canterbury Christ Church University.
• Susan Murray - Non-Executive Director of Enterprise Inns plc, SSL International plc and Imperial Tobacco Group plc.
• Colin Philpott - Director of the National Media Museum. He previously worked for the BBC where in his last post before leaving he was the BBC was Head of BBC Yorkshire.
• Donald Trelford - Editor of The Observer from 1975 to 1993 and is now a regular columnist and broadcaster.
• Nigel Walmsley - Chairman of the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board.
• Neil Watts - Secondary School Headteacher since 1988. He gained an MA in economics at Magdalene College, Cambridge University.
• Diana Whitworth - co-director of Grandparents Plus, a charity concerned with promoting the role of grandparents and extended family members in caring for children.

Actions taken on fracking

Rapped fracking firm and lobbyists for advertising code breaches

This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project

In 2012 planning lobbyists PPS produced a brochure for fracking firm Cuadrilla, titled "Summer 2012 Exploring For Natural Gas Cuadrilla Resources is exploring for natural gas in Lancashire" which the Advertising Standards Authority found contained claims partially breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 and 3.3 (Misleading advertising) and 3.11 (Exaggeration).

Forced Friends of the Earth to withdraw 'misleading' leaflets

In January 2017, the ASA instructed campaign group Friends of the Earth (FOE) to withdraw a series of anti-fracking leaflets that featured 'misleading' claims. After the ASA received two complaints, including from Cuadrilla's CEO Francis Egan, the watchdog found a leaflet in circulation by the organisation that falsely alleged pollution caused by fracking would necessarily increase the risk of cancer amongst local residents.

Executives from fracking companies hailed the decision as a victory against 'anti-fracking myths'.

Francis Egan said FOE had engaged in 'scaremongering designed to frighten the public into giving it money', and Tom Pickering of INEOS said the ruling showed that campaign groups were 'spreading false information and misleading the public about this important issue'.

In response, Donna Hume of FOE said:'Cuadrilla’s complaint isn’t surprising from a profit-driven fracking company'... 'this is a pro-fracking company doing all they can to shut down opposition to fracking.'

FOE also questioned the timing of the ASA's release, coming just days before Cuadrilla started preparatory work at their Preston New Road site.

Contact

Address: Mid City Place, 71, High Holborn, London WC1V 6QT Telephone: +44 20 7492 2222 Fax: +44 020 7242 3696 E-mail: enquiries@asa.org.uk Website: http://www.asa.org.uk