FARFETCH
Consumer, competition, and sustainability
U.K.
ASA publishes guidance on social responsibility in advertising
On July 23, 2026, the ASA published guidance highlighting advertisers’ responsibility to avoid harm and misleading messaging across sectors including alcohol, gambling, body image, motoring, and environmental claims.
The ASA reiterates that environmental claims such as “eco-friendly” and “carbon neutral” require substantial evidence and adequate qualification to avoid greenwashing.
The ASA states that ads should not normalize risky behavior, including suggesting alcohol relieves distress, encouraging vulnerable audiences to gamble, or glamorizing unsafe driving. The ASA warns against harmful representation and stereotypes, including gender stereotyping, racially discriminatory imagery, and ads exploiting insecurities such as cosmetic procedure marketing.
U.K.
Government makes Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Amendment) Regulations 2026
On July 13, 2026, the U.K. Government laid Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/296, supplementing the Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 by setting the conditions under which economic operators may derogate from the ban on destroying unsold consumer goods. The ban currently applies only to Annex VII goods (apparel, clothing accessories, and footwear) from July 19, 2026 (July 19, 2030 for medium-sized enterprises).
Permitted derogations cover: dangerous or legally non-compliant products; IP or licence infringement; technical infeasibility of removing protected or inappropriate branding/design; damage or contamination where repair is not technically feasible or cost-effective; and irreparable design or manufacturing defects.
Destruction is only permitted after:
- a donation offer to at least three suitable EU social economy entities has been declined
- an offer has been published online for at least eight weeks without uptake, or
- no recipients can be identified by social economy entities or reuse-market operators.
Economic operators must retain verification documentation for five years, produce it to competent authorities within 30 days of request, and provide waste treatment operators with a statement of the applicable derogation.
The Regulation applies from July 19, 2026 and will be reviewed by May 12, 2031.
U.K.
CMA launches investigation into Microsoft 365 subscription marketing
On July 29, 2026, the CMA launched a consumer protection investigation into Microsoft regarding the marketing and renewal communications for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscription plans after plan changes that added features such as Copilot.
The CMA is examining whether customers were given clear, timely, and non-misleading information about available subscription options and price differences before renewal, and whether customers paid more as a result.
From January 2025, Microsoft added new features to existing customers at no extra cost for the remainder of their subscription term, and then automatically rolled customers onto a higher-priced plan at renewal unless they selected another plan or ended the subscription, while ceasing to offer feature-excluded Personal and Family plans to new subscribers.
Microsoft introduced a time-limited “Classic” switch option for existing customers, with annual Personal and Family plans priced GBP25 more per year than the Classic versions, and the CMA stated it has reached no conclusions.
Attorney advertising. The information contained herein is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal advice. Winston Taylor N.V. and WS SELAS are part of the Winston Taylor network as separate legal entities operating from its offices in the Netherlands and Belgium and France, respectively. Further information on Winston Taylor can be found on our regulatory page at: www.winstontaylor.com. Winston Taylor LLP Headquarters: 300 N. LaSalle Drive Chicago, IL 60654-3406. Phone: +1 (312) 558-5600.
© 2026 Winston Taylor LLP. All rights reserved.