Frequently asked questions
Who is on the Advertising Standards Board?
The Board includes 20 people from a broad range of age groups and backgrounds and is gender balanced – representative of the diversity of Australian society.
Is the Advertising Standards Bureau a government body?
The Advertising Standards Bureau is not a government body. It is the secretariat for the Advertising Standards Board and the Advertising Claims Board. The Bureau is governed by a Board of Directors and is funded by a levy.
How many complaints must be received before the ASB will investigate an advertisement?
A single written complaint is sufficient to initiate a formal investigation.
Are all complaints forwarded to the Advertising Standards Board?
Not all complaints are forwarded to the Board. Some complaints are not in ASB jurisdiction, the ad complained about has been considered previously, it is about an issue which the Board consistently dismisses, or belongs to another organisation's charter.
Why can't I lodge an anonymous complaint?
An anonymous complaint is not sufficient to initiate a formal complaint, but it can be included as part of a complaint that has already been raised or is subsequently raised.
How are decisions of the Advertising Standards Board made?
The Board considers complaints in light of all of the Codes and Initiatives. It meets twice a month to consider complaints and reaches its decision by way of simple majority. In the event of a tied vote, the Chair has a casting vote. The position of Chair is rotated among Board members on a meeting by meeting basis.
What happens when complaints about an advertisement are upheld by the Advertising Standards Board?
When a complaint is upheld, the advertiser is requested to remove or amend the offending advertisement as soon as possible after receiving a copy of the draft case report.
What if I don't agree with the Advertising Standards Board decision?
If people who originally complained about an advertisement or the advertiser are unhappy about a Board determination regarding a particular advertisement, they may ask for a review of the determination.
What is the Advertising Claims Board?
The Advertising Claims Board provides a competitive complaint resolution service. It is designed to determine complaints involving issues of truth, accuracy and legality of advertising on a user pays cost recovery basis. Service is provided through a register of lawyers.
What type of ads are complained about the most?
The ASB receives complaints about all types of ads in all mediums. We keep statistics about complaints, a running tally of complaints is available on our home page, and information about issues most complained about are available in documents we publish such as the Review of Operations.