{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003/section-368F",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003/section-368F.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/21",
  "legislation_title": "Communications Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003",
  "path": "section/368F",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "368F",
  "heading": "Advertising",
  "text": "(1) Advertising of the following products is prohibited in on-demand programme services—\n(a) cigarettes or other tobacco products;\n(aa) electronic cigarettes or electronic cigarette refill containers;\n(b) any prescription-only medicine.\n(2) Advertising of alcoholic drinks is only permitted in on-demand programme services if—\n(a) it is not aimed specifically at persons under the age of eighteen, nor does it, in particular, depict such persons consuming alcoholic drinks;\n(b) it does not link the consumption of alcohol to enhanced physical performance or to driving;\n(c) it does not create the impression that the consumption of alcohol contributes towards social or sexual success;\n(d) it does not claim that alcohol has therapeutic qualities or that it is a stimulant, a sedative or a means of resolving personal conflicts;\n(e) it does not encourage immoderate consumption of alcohol or present abstinence or moderation in a negative light; and\n(f) it does not place emphasis on high alcoholic content as being a positive quality of alcoholic drinks.\n(3) Advertising included in an on-demand programme service—\n(a) must be readily recognisable as such, and\n(b) must not use techniques which exploit the possibility of conveying a message subliminally or surreptitiously.\n(4) Advertising included in an on-demand programme service must not—\n(a) prejudice respect for human dignity;\n(b) include or promote discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation;\n(c) encourage behaviour prejudicial to health or safety;\n(d) encourage behaviour grossly prejudicial to the protection of the environment;\n(e) cause physical , mental or moral detriment to persons under the age of eighteen;\n(f) directly exhort such persons to purchase or rent goods or services in a manner which exploits their inexperience or credulity;\n(g) directly encourage such persons to persuade their parents or others to purchase or rent goods or services;\n(h) exploit the trust of such persons in parents, teachers or others; or\n(i) unreasonably show such persons in dangerous situations.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 4A inserted (19.12.2009) by Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2979), regs. 1(1), 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 368F(1)(aa) inserted (20.5.2016) by The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/507), regs. 1(2), 46(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 368F(2) substituted (1.11.2020) by The Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1062), regs. 1(2), 33(a) (with Pt. 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 368F(4)(e) inserted (1.11.2020) by The Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1062), regs. 1(2), 33(b) (with Pt. 7)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "substituted for s. 368F(1)(aa)",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2026/18",
      "affecting_title": "Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2026/18",
      "affecting_title": "Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/368F",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:18:16.154105+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}