Petition Advertising Standards Authority Ltd Investigation as Non-Govt. Regulator of Advertising

We call for investigation of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Limited, non-govt regulator of advertising to include: legal basis of authority; public perception of legal status; independence; transparency; competence to rule on technical matters; right of appeal; as well as the appropriateness of sanctions imposed. It is a private limited company, a media industry association, but appears to act as a Govt body. Use of terms ‘Authority’ & ‘Standards’ in its name now have legal restrictions. It has legal sounding processes with no legal basis: rulings, adjudications, sanctions and compliance, implying judicial or statutory authority. No independent appeal process or external review/audit of processes/outcomes. Sanctions are imposed by online naming and shaming and use of Google Ads to actively promote rulings. These activities seriously damage businesses and reputations & are unjustified when the ruling is unbalanced or even undermines the authority of established Govt bodies.