Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the dangers of advertising cosmetic procedures on social media.

Advertising in the UK is overseen by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the industry’s independent regulator, which for online advertising enforces the Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) through a system of self-regulation. The CAP Code incorporates all relevant legislation and sets standards for accuracy and honesty to which advertisers must adhere, including specific conditions on advertising to children, causing offence and social responsibility. This system operates independently of government.

The ASA has published guidance to advertisers on how it would be likely to interpret the CAP Code when considering complaints relating to adverts promoting cosmetic procedures. This guidance stresses the burden of social responsibility that the Code places on advertisers, including the importance of avoiding trivialising the advertised procedures, exploiting insecurities, employing exaggerated or unrealistic claims, and targeting vulnerable groups.

Separately to this, the government is reviewing how online advertising is regulated in the UK, looking at how well the current regime is equipped to tackle the challenges posed by developments in online advertising. Although this work will not directly address issues relating to specific rules or sectors, it will consider cross-cutting challenges with potential to impact the wider market. A call for evidence on online advertising was published last month.