Risk check
Health claims checker
Health and medical claims are the highest-risk wording in most product listings, and every market ComplyAds covers restricts them.
Claiming to treat, cure or prevent a condition can breach EU health-claims rules, UK advertising and medicines law, and equivalent therapeutic-claims rules in Australia (TGA) and the US (FDA).
An example that gets flagged
Flagged · Medical or health claim
This balm cures eczema and clears up acne in days.
ComplyAds highlights wording like this in your listing, explains why it is a risk in plain English, and links the platform policy and the law behind it — so it is clear what to change before you publish.
The law behind it
This is policed across the markets ComplyAds covers, and each flag cites the specific rule rather than just the act:
- EU — Cosmetics Reg (EC) 1223/2009 Art 20 + Common Criteria Reg (EU) 655/2013
- UK — CAP Code s12 (rule 12.1 — medicines, devices, health-related & beauty products)
- Canada — Competition Act s.52 (criminal false/misleading) + s.74.01(1)(a)
- Australia — ACL s.18 / s.29
- US — FTC Act s.5
How to fix a flagged claim
Remove disease, treatment or prevention language. Reframe to a permitted structure/function or general-wellness statement, hold evidence for anything objective, and check each platform’s medical-claims policy for the exact wording it allows.
Where it applies
Every major platform ComplyAds checks — Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, TikTok Shop, Meta, Shopify — has a published policy on this, on top of the advertising law above. ComplyAds screens against EU health-claims rules · UK ASA / CAP · MHRA · AU TGA · US FDA.
Flags, not verdicts. ComplyAds is an informational risk check, not legal advice. A flag is a prompt to look more closely, not proof of a breach — genuine, substantiated claims are fine. For anything borderline, get professional advice before you publish.
Questions
What counts as a health claim?
Any statement that a product treats, cures, prevents or diagnoses a condition — and often “relieves” or “heals” language too. ComplyAds flags these and cites the health-claims law and platform policy behind them.
How do I fix a flagged health claim?
Remove the disease or treatment language, or qualify it to a permitted structure/function or general-wellness statement backed by evidence. For anything borderline, get professional advice before you publish.