Credit advertising in Uzbekistan now requires risk warnings
The Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan approved amendments to the Law on Advertising, requiring banks and financial companies to warn clients about risks when promoting their services. The document establishes new rules for marketing credit and insurance products.
The main change concerns financial services advertising. Specialized companies must now include a direct warning in their materials: using the advertised products and failing to meet debt obligations entails financial risks for the borrower.
The law also changes the status of educational campaigns in the financial market. Information aimed at improving public insurance literacy is officially reclassified as public service advertising. Authorized state bodies can now commission and distribute these materials.
For Uzbekistan’s financial market, this is a direct consequence of the active growth in retail lending, installment plans, and microloans. Local banks and fintech services compete fiercely for clients through digital channels, offering fast product registration. The new requirements force players to adjust their marketing strategies and make conditions more transparent during client acquisition.
The regulator is shifting focus from aggressive credit growth to portfolio quality and borrower awareness. Mandatory warnings are designed to reduce information asymmetry: clients must understand the consequences before they tap the loan application button in an app.
Once the law is signed and takes effect, the financial sector will have to update advertising creatives across all platforms. Financial companies will need to wait for supervisory authorities to clarify technical details, such as what percentage of a banner’s area or a video’s duration the risk text must occupy for the ad to be considered legal.