The Church of Scientology have responded to billboards placed at one of London’s busiest Tube stations by it’s former members with a new set of ads aimed at commuters.

Back in January we reported that Scientology had paid for three billboards at Tottenham Court Road station which sparked outrage among Londoners. MyLondon reported that commenters on social media described the move as “appalling”, with another noting “TFL doesn’t allow junk food to be advertised, but this is apparently fine” while the Metro noted “Scientology has been labelled a ‘cult’ by critics, and has been criticised for its claims about mental health, its finances and even abusive practices.”

Transport for London (TfL), which manages the Tube network, apologised for the offence Scientology’s ads caused survivors of abuse within the organisation but stood by its decision to display the billboards, saying in a statement to Scientology Business “the adverts were reviewed by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP); which is the organisation responsible for writing and maintaining the Advertising Codes and is the sister organisation to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which regulates advertising in the UK.”

“TfL has a rigorous Advertising Policy which extends beyond the requirements set by CAP and the ASA. Our advertising policy can be viewed here: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-advertising-policy-250219.pdf The adverts do not contravene our advertising policy. Nonetheless, I am certainly sorry for any offense caused to you personally.”

At a London Assembly meeting on 22nd May, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan responded to complaints about the ads, stating “In this city I’m proud that we celebrate and embrace people of all backgrounds and ensuring inclusivity for all is one of my core values as Mayor of London.”

“All advertisements on the TFL network are reviewed on a case by case basis against the TFL advertising policy so it can deliver a consistent approach and ensure advertising displayed as inclusive and suitable for TFL’s diverse customers”

The billboards were later replaced by The Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation, a non-profit which provides support and resources for people leaving Scientology. The bold campaign featured ex-Scientologists Claire Headley, Mike Rinder and Alexander Barnes-Ross along with the words “I’m an Ex-Scientologist. Curious?” and a link to their website, aftermath.help.

Now, Scientology have escalated the billboard battle by installing new ads at Tottenham Court Road. In addition to those on the platform, the Church have now commissioned new digital ads that play on screens along the escalators from the entrance of the station to the Central Line.

Digital ads on the London Underground run for a minimum of 7 days and cost tens of thousands of pounds, according to TfL’s advertising partner Global. Tottenham Court Road is one of the busiest stations on the network, with an estimated 1.8 million passengers passing through every week. The station serves Scientology’s ‘Life Improvement Centre’ near Goodge Street, from which its main recruitment activities in London take place.

Ex-Scientologists have called on the Mayor to review Transport for London’s advertising guidelines in light of the offence such ads cause to survivors of abuse within the organisation. In 1984, High Court judge Lord Justice Latey ruled that Scientology is a “dangerous, harmful” organisation that is “out to capture people, especially children and impressionable young people” and in 1999 the Charity Commission ruled Scientology “does not benefit the public” and rejected their application for tax exemption.

A Scientology ad was banned in 2016 by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority after it was unable to substantiate claims the organisation had helped “24 million people” at disaster sites through their Volunteer Minister program. In a statement to The Guardian at the time, an ASA spokesperson said “we concluded that the claim had not been substantiated and was likely to mislead viewers,” continuing “we told the Church of Scientology International to ensure they held adequate evidence for any claims that viewers were likely to regard as objective and capable of substantiation.”

Despite backlash from Londoners on social media and the offence caused to survivors of abuse within the Church of Scientology, TfL have continued to platform their propaganda, meanwhile banning ads that promote fast food.