United Kingdom: Advertising, Marketing & Branding

The UK's new advertising restrictions on less healthy food and drink products came into force in January, and the Advertising Standards Authority has now issued its first enforcement decisions. These rulings against Iceland, Lidl, German Doner Kebab and On The Beach reveal critical compliance lessons for brands navigating nutrient profiling requirements, supply chain responsibilities, and the boundaries of incidental food appearances in digital advertising.

The regulatory landscape for age assurance is changing more rapidly than ever, with legislators and regulators globally intensifying efforts to protect children online.

The Advertising Standards Authority has issued a landmark ruling on the nutritional classification of doner kebabs, determining whether they fall under the category of less healthy foods for advertising purposes.

A paid-for YouTube ad for PixVideo – AI Video Maker showed a side-by-side "before" and "after" comparison image of a young woman.

Paid advertising continues to underpin the commercial model of major search and social media platforms. Yet the scale of fraud and unlawful financial promotions within this ecosystem...

The advertising and promotions restrictions on less healthy foods are currently underpinned by the UK nutrient profiling model (NPM) 2004/2005.

The FCA has started legal proceedings against global crypto exchange HTX (formerly Huobi) for illegally promoting cryptoasset...

The UK government has released its Construction Products Reform White Paper and General Safety Requirement consultation, proposing sweeping changes to construction products regulation. These reforms introduce stricter compliance requirements, enhanced enforcement powers including criminal sanctions and unlimited fines, and establish clear accountability across all construction industry stakeholders from manufacturers to developers.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 specifically outlaws fake and misleading consumer reviews. This law came into force in April 2025. The Competition and Markets Authority...