The website maritalaffair.co.uk has started advertising on billboards around the country. The website describes itself as ‘delivering a dating arena for extra-marital affairs’ for ‘uncomplicated adult fun’. It directly promotes and faciliates people being unfaithful to their partners, and their families and children.

Please write to the ASA on-line at www.asa.org.uk to complain about maritalaffair.co.uk advertising in the UK. You can quote the reference number of my complaint – A10-115873/JD and write in favour of my complaint.

I complained last week about a large billboard advertisement for the website in Merton (just outside the Tandem Centre on the corner of Tandem Way and Christ Church Rd). I wrote to both Merton Council and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Merton Council told me that it could not do anything about it (I have now written to their Chief Executive and await a reply).

The ASA replied yesterday to tell me that they rejected my complaint. They said ‘We can only act if the ad, in our judgement, offends against widely accepted moral, social or cultural standards.’ They went on to say that they did not feel the ad was offensive because it was ‘unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence or be seen as irresponsible.’

When you think of the trauma and suffering caused to individuals and communities by the damage of affairs and the breakdown of relationships they cause I can’t think of anything more irresponsible that could be advertised. The site is completely without any scruples other than making money – they are feeding on people’s weaknesses and helping them to lie and ruin their own as well as their partners, and their families and children’s lives. Sites like these will always exist but we do not have to tolerate their advertising in public places.

(I know some people will say that campaigning against it only raises the profile but being on the internet is one thing – but why should my kids be introduced to concepts like this being promoted publicly – they see enough of the tragic consequences of marriage breakdown enough as it is)

The full text of the ASA response is reproduced it below:

Dear Mr Kuhrt

Your complaint about Maritalaffair.co.uk

Thank you for contacting the Advertising Standards Authority. I am sorry that this ad has caused you offence.

I should say right at the start that the ASA Council has considered complaints about ads for this product in the past but didn’t think there were sufficient grounds for us to intervene. Let me explain.

Our Code says that ads should contain nothing that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. The ASA bases its judgments on the content of the ad and the medium, audience, product type and prevailing standards in society.

Complaints about offence often require difficult judgements but we don’t intervene where advertising is simply criticised for being in poor taste. Apart from freedom of speech considerations, even well-intentioned and thoughtful people will have different and sometimes contradictory opinions about what constitutes ‘bad taste’ or should be prohibited. We can only act if the ad, in our judgement, offends against widely accepted moral, social or cultural standards.

In this case, we didn’t think the advertising was likely to have those effects because Council felt that whilst not everyone will agree with the advertiser’s service, the poster’s content and presentation were not explicit and it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence or be seen as irresponsible.

I realise this decision will disappoint you but the advertisers have been informed of public response to their ads. And we’ll continue to monitor the response to this campaign.

Our website, www. asa.org.uk, contains information about the ASA and the work we do, including the results of investigations into other complaints, many of which have been upheld.

Yours sincerely

Julia Dean
Complaints Executive
juliad [at] asa.org.uk

See also: Dave Walker at ChurchTimes