Home Office mistakenly advertises porn website

The Home Office has had its knuckles rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority after a radio ad may have directed some listeners to porn sites.

The ad, which was broadcast in March on 96 Trent FM, was supposed to help listeners find the website of the Home Office Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

However, some listeners were confused by the ad, which said, “Be smart online, be safe offline. Visit thinkuknow.co.uk”, and typed in “thinkyouknow.co.uk”, which hosts links to pornographic sites.

The ASA, the UK’s advertising regulator, was particularly worried about the blunder because the ad was designed to help teenagers stay safe online.

“Although we recognised that there was no intention, we considered that a significant effect of the ad had been to indirectly publicise services which were unacceptable for broadcast, namely restricted adult material and other sexual services”, said the ASA in a statement after the ruling.