Children Exposed to Weight Loss Drug Advertisements Online
Children are frequently exposed to advertisements for weight loss injections and pills on the internet, according to a report published by the children's commissioner for England.
The report revealed that young people were "routinely bombarded" with advertisements promoting products that claim to alter their bodies and appearance, despite regulations banning such advertising.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, described these posts as "immensely damaging" to the self-esteem of young people and advocated for a ban on social media advertising targeted at children.
A spokesperson for the media regulator Ofcom stated that it does not tolerate "tech firms prioritising engagement over children's online safety."
Dame Rachel's report was based on a survey of 2,000 children aged 13 to 17, which explored the potentially harmful products they encountered online, supplemented by two focus groups.
Respondents reported seeing advertisements for weight loss products such as diet foods and drinks, as well as skin-lightening products, some of which are illegal to sell in the UK.
Other contributors noted that beauty-related content online was "unavoidable," including posts promoting cosmetic procedures like lip fillers.
Dr Peter Macaulay, a senior lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby, commented that ending advertising to children on social media is a "necessary step," and he suggested that regulation should extend further.
"Alongside restrictions, we need stronger platform accountability, better enforcement of age-appropriate design, and education that helps children understand and critically navigate online pressures," he said.
Urgent Action and Proposed Solutions
Dame Rachel's report proposed several solutions, including amending the Online Safety Act (OSA) to impose a "clear duty of care" on social media platforms to prevent showing adverts to children.
The Online Safety Act aims to enhance internet safety in the UK, particularly for children, by establishing laws and duties that online platforms must adhere to. Ofcom is responsible for its implementation and enforcement.
The Act requires companies to promptly remove harmful material once identified.
Dame Rachel also recommended updating Ofcom's Children's Code of Practice to "explicitly protect children from body stigma content." However, Ofcom indicated that this protection is already included under "non-designated content."
A spokesperson for Ofcom stated:
"Body stigma content can be incredibly harmful to children, which is why our codes require sites and apps to protect children from encountering it, and to act swiftly when they become aware of it."
Additionally, Dame Rachel called for stronger regulation and enforcement regarding the online sale of age-restricted products, suggesting that the government consider limiting children's access to certain social media platforms.
She emphasized the need for immediate measures to create an online environment that is safer by design.
"Urgent action is needed to create an online world that is truly safer by design," said Dame Rachel.
"We cannot continue to accept an online world that profits from children's insecurities and constantly tells them they need to change or must be better."
A government spokesperson responded by stating that it has been "always clear" that the OSA is not the final step in protecting children online.
The spokesperson added that the government recently launched a national consultation on "bold measures to protect children online," which includes the possibility of banning social media use for those under 16.
for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? here.
