TfL Advert Banned for Harmful Racial Stereotype in UK Campaign

Published: 18 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Transport for London (TfL) has faced criticism and regulatory action after one of its social media adverts was banned for reinforcing a harmful racial stereotype, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled. The controversial ad, part of TfL’s “Act Like a Friend” campaign aimed at encouraging people to safely intervene if they witness sexual harassment or hate crime on its network, was judged likely to cause serious offence due to its portrayal of a black male figure.

The advert in question — distributed on Facebook — depicted a black teenage boy verbally harassing a young girl, accompanied by a white male friend who appeared to be close by but not overtly shown participating in the intimidation. A viewer complained that, when seen in isolation, the advert perpetuated negative and harmful racial stereotypes about black men as threatening or aggressive. The ASA agreed, ruling that the cut‑down version “reinforced a negative racial stereotype” and was “irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence.”

TfL defended the broader campaign, saying the scenes were taken from a two‑minute film that featured a diverse range of scenarios, including other cut‑downs showing white men committing hate crimes against victims of different ethnicities. The transport authority said it had used a bespoke casting diversity tracker and that the likelihood of an individual seeing only the complained‑about advert was very low. However, the ASA’s concern stemmed from the fact that the shortened version could appear on its own to many viewers.

In response to the ruling, TfL apologised and confirmed it would no longer use the specific ad in its current form. A TfL spokeswoman said the organisation aims to ensure that its advertising “reflects London’s diverse population and does not perpetuate any stereotypes,” and reaffirmed TfL’s commitment to meeting advertising standards and inclusivity goals.

The ASA’s refusal highlights the strict standards in UK advertising policy designed to avoid content that could cause serious offence or reinforce damaging societal stereotypes, especially on sensitive issues related to race and ethnicity. It also underscores the challenges organisations face when conveying complex social messages through short‑form adverts on social media platforms.

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