Advertising Standards Authority

The Advertising Standards Authority is the UK advertising industry's self-regulatory body, dealing with misleading advertising in the UK so as to head off more stringent government regulation. Surprisingly, it actually works really well.

An ASA ruling has no direct legal force. However, being ruled against and then defying the ruling makes a conviction under trading standards regulations almost a slam-dunk.

It is a particular delight when dealing with the claims of alternative medicine woomeisters, and getting them to stop claiming dangerous rubbish. The Nightingale Collaboration in particular has used ASA complaints about quacks to great effect.

There is an equivalent Irish body, ASAI (Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland), which was similarly set up by the advertising industry and is similarly harsh on bad alternative medicine claims.