A key government report assessing the impact of advertising on children in the modern world has acknowledged the importance of regulatory initiatives such as the IAB’s Good Practice Principles for Behavioural Advertising.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (DCSF) report, The Impact of the Commercial World on Children's Wellbeing, praised the work of the IAB in a report which attempts to make sense of a debate that can be “polarized and is often sensationalized”.
The assessment – part of a broader government announcement on the Children’s Plan - was launched with an online call for evidence, which was widely circulated to relevant stakeholder groups. This resulted in a range of submissions from businesses, trade associations, non-government organisations, consumer groups, teacher unions, campaigners, and others. You can read the IAB’s submission here.
The final report highlights the need for schools, parents, industry and businesses to work together to ensure a safe regulatory environment for children. As part of the ongoing work in the area, Sarah Thane, former chair of the Royal Television Society and former advisor to Ofcom, will continue review the existing 40 year old rules governing child performance.
Discussing the report, Nick Stringer, the IAB’s head of regulatory affairs, said: “The IAB welcomes this important and balanced report. Children derive many benefits from online interaction and engagement: advertising supports many of the services that facilitate this. However, we acknowledge the concerns relating to digital marketing to children, such as online behavioural advertising.
“We particularly welcome the report’s and the DCSF’s support for the IAB’s Good Practice Principles for Behavioural Advertising which include a specific commitment not to pro-actively target children under the age of 13 years.”
