The Consumer Complaint Procedure

Formally established more than 40 years ago by Canada’s advertising industry, the complaint procedure provides members of the public with an effective mechanism to submit written concerns about advertisements currently running in Canadian media.

ASC accepts and responds to all written complaints received through our online submission process, by letter or by fax.

Complaints are evaluated under the provisions of the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (Code). Those that raise a potential issue under the Code are reviewed by independent, volunteer bodies called Standards Councils. The Councils play a critical role in ensuring an objective, balanced and fair process for adjudicating consumer complaints. To learn more about the Councils, click here.

As part of our commitment to transparency, ASC publishes Council findings on upheld complaints and releases online ad complaints reports. These reports provide insight into advertising issues of concern to the public and act as a guide to the interpretation of the Code.

To read the latest quarterly Consumer Complaint Case Summaries, click here.