Protecting children from harmful marketing practices

Overview

Commercial marketing targets children and their caregivers to sell products that are often harmful to children’s health and well-being, such as alcohol, tobacco, breastmilk substitutes, and unhealthy foods, including sugar-sweetened beverages, according to a landmark WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission.

Companies target children because they influence parents’ household spending, and carry their brand loyalty over a lifetime. Caregivers likewise receive commercial messages exploiting their concern for children’s well-being. Companies use sophisticated algorithms to target children with advertising on social media and gaming apps, with limited regulation. Children’s personal data are sold between companies, with children’s profiles traded like commodities.