adults who say they have definitely seen at least one form of illegal advertisement in the past 12 months
Supplementary notes
Original question: "Still thinking about the last time you saw an advertisement online that you considered to be for an illegal product or service, what type of site or service were you using when you saw this advertisement?"
Citation formats
Online platforms UK adults saw ads with illegal activity content 2024
A survey, conducted in April 2024 among adults in the United Kingdom (UK), found that most of the encounters with online advertisement facilitating perceived illegal activity, such as scams or cybercrime, happened on social media. Nearly 60 percent of the respondents claiming to have seen such ads online stated they had seen them on social networks. Additionally, search engines and online shopping platforms followed, with respectively 14 and 12 percent of respondents naming them.
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GOV.UK. (October 30, 2024). Online spaces adults in the United Kingdom (UK) encountered online ads facilitating perceived illegal activity as of April 2024 [Graph]. In ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½app×îа汾. Retrieved August 18, 2026, from /statistics/1546632/uk-online-ads-illegal-activity-platforms/
GOV.UK. "Online spaces adults in the United Kingdom (UK) encountered online ads facilitating perceived illegal activity as of April 2024." Chart. October 30, 2024. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½app×îа汾. Accessed August 18, 2026. /statistics/1546632/uk-online-ads-illegal-activity-platforms/
GOV.UK. (2024). Online spaces adults in the United Kingdom (UK) encountered online ads facilitating perceived illegal activity as of April 2024. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½app×îа汾. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½app×îа汾 Inc.. Accessed: August 18, 2026. /statistics/1546632/uk-online-ads-illegal-activity-platforms/
GOV.UK. "Online Spaces Adults in The United Kingdom (Uk) Encountered Online Ads Facilitating Perceived Illegal Activity as of April 2024." ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½app×îа汾, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½app×îа汾 Inc., 30 Oct 2024, /statistics/1546632/uk-online-ads-illegal-activity-platforms/
GOV.UK, Online spaces adults in the United Kingdom (UK) encountered online ads facilitating perceived illegal activity as of April 2024 ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½app×îа汾, /statistics/1546632/uk-online-ads-illegal-activity-platforms/ (last visited August 18, 2026)
Online spaces adults in the United Kingdom (UK) encountered online ads facilitating perceived illegal activity as of April 2024 [Graph], GOV.UK, October 30, 2024. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1546632/uk-online-ads-illegal-activity-platforms/