Children insufficiently protected from advertising marketing according to the WHO

Children are permeable to advertising messages. As they are exposed to increasingly young screens, the question arises of the protection of young audiences from food advertisements. The World Health Organization raises the debate by particularly targeting “digital marketing”, these advertisements which flood digital screens before the carefree eyes of children. Diverted campaigns for sugary cereals, chocolate treats for snacks, entertainment, games… The insidious and sophisticated incentives to eat ever more fat, sweet and salty abound without filter on the screens (computer, smartphone, tablets).

Difficult for children and sometimes even their parents to navigate and truly control the content. “Using sophisticated techniques, the platforms are [en effet] capable of collecting countless personal data from Internet users in order to broadcast behavioral advertisements, targeting the public with precision”, explains Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, quoted by Destination health.

Define the age groups targeted by marketing

It is easy to assume the danger of this exposure. This Digital Marketing promotes the consumption of unhealthy foods with the associated risk of childhood overweightand pathologies in adulthood (obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc.).

“Allowing advertisers and the food industry to promote products high in salt, fat and sugar via poorly regulated digital platforms can have enormous economic and health consequences,” reminds the WHO, taken over by the daily mail.

Faced with this real danger, the WHO calls on the public authorities, asking them to strengthen the legal arsenal. The WHO gives ways of working to better protect children “by putting in place, for example, regulations that protect children both ‘offline’ but also ‘online’. Another idea suggested could be to adapt the measures according to age groups and types of marketing.

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