The Equal Status Acts prohibit advertising that may be considered discriminatory.
Discriminatory advertisements include every form of advertisement, whether in public or not. They may appear on websites, on social media or in newspapers. They may be in writing, on television or on the radio.
What is discriminatory advertising?
Some possible examples of discriminatory advertisements include:
- ‘Rent allowance/housing assistance payments not accepted’ (discrimination on the housing assistance ground)
- ‘Would suit professionals’ (discrimination on the housing assistance ground)
- ‘Work/professional references required’ (discrimination on the housing assistance ground)
- ‘Singles only’ (discrimination on the civil status ground and family status ground)
- ‘Over 25s’ (discrimination on the age ground)
- ‘Men only’ (discrimination on the gender ground)
- ‘Traditional couples only’ (discrimination on the civil status ground)
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of examples.
You do not have to tell us on what ground you think the advertisement is discriminatory. It is enough that you think it is discriminatory.
You don’t have to experience the discrimination in the ad to make a complaint.
For example, a man can complain about an advertisement that appears to discriminate against women. A Muslim can complain about an ad that appears to discriminate against Catholics.
It is enough that you believe the content is discriminatory.
How to complain about discriminatory advertising
We are the only organisation in Ireland that can take action on discriminatory advertising.
If you spot an advertisement that you think is discriminatory, please report it to us.
We can refer complaints of discriminatory advertising to the Workplace Relations Commission.
Please reach out to us right away, or within two months after seeing or hearing the ad.
What we need
When making a complaint about discriminatory advertising, it would help us if you provided:
Information about when and where you came across the advertisement
If you do not provide enough information about the advertisement, we might not be able to confirm whether it is discriminatory.
Give details of the website, a link to the advertisement or screenshots/screengrabs
Please provide pictures, hardcopies, photocopies or scans - you can post these to us, if you wish.
Please provide a recording, details of when the advertisement aired and on what channel, or any other information that might help us identify and review the advertisement
Please provide photographs or information to help us identify and review the advertisement
If you would like an acknowledgement that your complaint has been received, please provide your contact details.
Use this form to report discriminatory advertising to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
You should report ads as soon as possible, or within 2 months of seeing the ad.
If you require further assistance, we will be happy to accommodate your needs.
After you make your complaint
Complaints of discriminatory advertising received by IHREC are reviewed by a staff member. If necessary, they may contact you for further information (if you provide your contact details).
After you report an ad, you won't be involved in the process again, except in rare cases. IHREC decides if it will take action. This includes contacting the publisher or advertiser, if appropriate.
We value all complaints about discriminatory ads from the public.
Your complaint helps us tackle discriminatory advertising.
Possible further action by IHREC
We can refer a complaint about discriminatory advertising to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) if we think it’s appropriate. The WRC will decide whether the advertisement is discriminatory or not.
Discriminatory Advertising Case Study
Case 1
IHREC v Daft.ie
In 2019, IHREC successfully brought a complaint to the WRC against the property website Daft.ie, arguing that adverts on the website discriminated on ground of housing assistance by containing phrases such as ‘rent allowance not accepted.’
Law: Equal Status Acts
Year: 2019
Daft.ie forced to tackle discriminatory advertising on their website
In 2019, IHREC successfully brought a complaint to the WRC against the property website Daft.ie, arguing that adverts on the website discriminated on ground of housing assistance by containing phrases such as ‘rent allowance not accepted.’ The WRC ordered that Daft.ie stop allowing discriminatory adverts on its website, and that a filter should be developed to identify keywords that could discriminate.
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