Advertising and Marketing | UK Regulatory Outlook July 2026

UK updates

New regulations limit use of automated vehicle terminology in marketing 

The government has introduced regulations, the Automated Vehicles (Marketing Restrictions) Regulations 2026, to protect marketing terms for automated vehicles (AVs). The government consulted on the concept, which was broadly supported by respondents. 

The new regulations will come into force on 7 January 2027 and mean that the following terms can only be used to describe an authorised automated vehicle (as defined in the Automated Vehicles Act 2024): automated, automated driving, autonomous, autonomous driving, drive autonomously, drive itself, driverless and self-driving. The terms "automated" and "autonomous" are only restricted when used to describe a vehicle as a whole or the overall driving functionality or capability of a vehicle. The government stated that these terms would remain permissible for specific parts or features (for example, automated windscreen wipers or autonomous emergency braking). 

It is an offence under the regulations to use a restricted term (or to cause or permit one to be used) when promoting or supplying a road vehicle or road vehicle equipment in the course of business, where the term is directed at or it might reasonably come to the attention of an end-user, and the vehicle is not an authorised automated vehicle. A person is considered to use a restricted term if they use a word, expression, symbol or mark that closely resembles a restricted term and could be mistaken for it. Where a business commits an offence with the consent, connivance or neglect of a responsible person (for example, a director), that individual may also be held liable. 

Government consults on banning unlicensed gambling sponsorships and advertising 

On 15 July 2026, the government under Keir Starmer launched a consultation on legislative changes to ban unlicensed gambling sponsorships and advertising in Great Britain across all sectors (having previously indicated its intention to consult in relation to the sport sector). The consultation closes on 9 September 2026. However, it is unclear whether the new government under Andy Burnham, who took office on 20 July, will take this forward. 

Under current legislation, businesses may enter into advertising and sponsorship arrangements with gambling operators not licensed by the Gambling Commission, provided that those operators' services cannot be accessed by consumers in Great Britain. However, since these restrictions can be circumvented, the previous government proposed banning such arrangements. 

The proposed ban targets any physical forms or manifestations of advertising and sponsorship. Within a sporting context, this includes kit and equipment sponsorships, pitch side billboards, tournament programmes, venue infrastructure, and the naming of events, leagues and venues. It would be a criminal offence for anyone to advertise or be sponsored by a gambling operator not licensed by the Gambling Commission when operating in Great Britain. The proposed ban does not extend to online advertising or sponsorship, as doing so would require primary legislation. 

The previous government aimed to introduce the ban "as quickly as possible" using secondary legislation, with a preferred implementation date in August 2027, ahead of the 2027/28 football season. 

Government consults on packaging, appearance and display requirements for vapes, nicotine and tobacco products 

Following the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 receiving Royal Assent, the previous government launched a consultation on packaging requirements, device appearance and retail display of vapes, nicotine and tobacco products. The consultation closes on 2 October 2026. 

The proposals, among other things, aim to reduce the appeal of vapes to young children. Some of the proposals include the introduction of plain white packaging with restrictions on text colour, imagery and branding, as well as standardised product information. Flavour names would be restricted to simple, recognisable descriptions (such as "apple"), with concept and sensory names banned, along with names relating to confectionery, sweets, desserts and alcohol. Manufacturers of vape devices would be required to produce them in white, black or grey, with no images, limited branding, no cosmetic lights, and screens only displaying safety information.  

Further proposals include extending existing plain packaging requirements and health warnings for cigarettes across all tobacco products, herbal smoking products, cigarette papers and heated tobacco devices, and introducing positive quit-support messages inside all tobacco products. 

ASA report examines environmental claims across UK online advertising 

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has published a report examining the prevalence and use of environmental claims in UK online advertising, based on an analysis of 7.7 million ads captured using its AI-based Active Ad Monitoring system between September and November 2025. The ASA states that the report provides it with a "large-scale, cross-market view" of how environmental claims are used in online advertising. Previously, the ASA's environmental claims work focused primarily on specific sectors or issues of concern.  

The headline finding of the report is that environmental claims in online ads are relatively rare (around 1% of ads), but those that do appear are often high-risk due to the use of absolute terms. Absolute terms such as "eco-friendly", "sustainable" and "carbon neutral" imply that a product, service or business is environmentally beneficial overall and require a high level of substantiation under the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing, carrying greater compliance risk as a result.  

In addition to sector-level patterns, the analysis highlights the widespread use of a small number of recurring terms across the market. These terms (particularly "eco-friendly" and "sustainable") appear across multiple sectors and are often used in broad or non-specific ways, making them an important focus for regulatory attention.  

To support advertisers in this area, the Committee of Advertising Practice plans to publish new guidance. The ASA will use the findings from this report to support and refine its approach to regulating environmental claims.  

EU updates 

EU consumer authorities agree a common approach to transitional enforcement of the Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition 

The network of national consumer protection authorities (CPC Network) has reached a common understanding on how national authorities will enforce the EU Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) in relation to "old stock" situations. These concern products or packaging displaying environmental claims or sustainability labels manufactured, ordered, distributed or placed on retailers' shelves before the ECGT application date of 27 September 2026. Traders are generally expected to make all "reasonable and proportionate" efforts to achieve full compliance by that date, including removing or correcting online claims, updating advertising and promotional materials, adapting future packaging and coordinating with suppliers. 

However, national authorities may take a phased approach where old stock situations give rise to "genuine and specific" transitional difficulties in the early stages of application of the ECGT rules, taking into account objective practical constraints such as packaging cycles, stock volumes, supply-chain dependencies and the shelf-life of products. Examples of materials that may nonetheless be subject to review during this period include online claims, which do not face the same practical challenges as offline claims; practices that are most harmful to consumers; and products with shorter shelf-lives or faster stock rotation. 

The common understanding is not legally binding but sets out principles intended to support consistent and pragmatic enforcement of the ECGT across the EU.