Article 4 - General advertising prohibitions and restrictions
(1) An advertisement may not include such elements and may not create a general impact that would offend the generally accepted moral and ethical standards of society.
(2) An advertisement should not include such element or have a general impression as to encourage or justify the jeopardizing or impairment of human life, health, bodily integrity, the built or the natural environment, private or public property.
(3) An advertisement may not abuse the trust of consumers, and may not make use of their lack of experience, knowledge or credulity.
(4) The use of natural values and of historical, scientific and cultural values and monuments in advertising must not harm their esteem.
(5) An advertisement may not insult any ideology (and within that, any religious belief). Religious symbols and motifs may only be used in advertising within the limits of good taste and in such a way that their use matches the subject.
(6) An advertisement should not contain elements of adverse discrimination between nations, nationalities, ethnic groups, sexes, age groups and cannot discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation, religious beliefs or the disability/ies one may live with. Similarly, an advertisement cannot support ideas that discriminate on any such grounds and cannot be suitable for inducing hatred.
(7) The symbols of nations can be used within the bounds of good taste, for indicating, first and foremost, the origin of products and services. The use of the national symbols of Hungary is regulated by law. The official symbols used in municipality (emblem and flag) can be used only with the preliminary consent of the municipality/local government concerned. Their use cannot reduce the reputation and esteem of these emblems.
(8) An advertisement cannot contain such elements or exert such a general impression, that induces, supports or justifies an aggressive, offensive, unlawful or antisocial attitude that would jeopardize the protection objectives defined in the present Code, or impair or jeopardize public safety.
(9) Advertisement may rely on anguish or on fear from catastrophe and human suffering only with due care and in a well justified case; it shall not play of superstition.
(10) Except public service advertising advertisements cannot induce grave fear, or a fear unjustified for wide circles of customers, fear, that is not related to the nature of the product, and cannot use shocking arguments and visual elements simply to attract attention.
(11) An advertisement cannot contain such elements or exert such a general impression that induces, supports or justifies the torturing of animals. Whenever animals are shown in an advertisement, due care should be given to the presentation of animals not to be contrary to and not to infringe general social norms.
(12) It is prohibited to use erotic and sexual elements in advertising for purposes not justified by the object and substance of advertising. Presentation of the human body within the limits of good taste may not be objected to, but the manner of presentation shall not harm human dignity and rights of the individual.
(13) An advertisement cannot contain a statement of sexual content that can be humiliating for the consumers.
(14) An advertisement cannot concentrate on the bodies or certain part(s) of the bodies of the models as if those were simply items, if they are not directly connected to the product advertised. The models cannot be presented in a humiliating or alienating way or such a manner as to carry a negative message for their sexes.
(15) Advertising may not deliberately include subliminal elements.
(16) No product may be sent to the consumer without prior assent. From this rule only those advertising gifts mean exception that the consumer/ receiver receive free of charge, without a compulsion to buy.
(17) It is prohibited to include in the advertisement any such hint, message or reference in connection with illegal drugs, psychotropic substances, or narcotics that would encourage their use or would suggest that the use of such substances is acceptable.
(18) In case there is significant scientific debate in a given issue, the relating advert statement must make this clear. The advertisement shall not suggest misleadingly that the factual statement contained in it represents a general, widely accepted scientific standpoint.
