UK to tighten rules over illegal content on internet platforms

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UK ministers have pledged to crack down on illegal advertising by forcing social media and online platforms such as Google Ads to take tougher action to stop children seeing adverts for products and services such as alcohol or gambling.

The government on Tuesday said it would introduce rules to make the online advertising industry “fit for the digital age”, including stopping fake scams by celebrities and social media influencers, who make money or receive gifts for posting material on platforms.

New statutory regulations will hand major internet and “adtech” groups such as Google, which act as intermediaries for online advertising, more responsibility for policing such content alongside online publishers, apps and websites serving ads, the government said.

Paid-for promotional posts by influencers will also be covered by the rules.

Social media companies, search engines and other websites will be required by law to launch systems to stop people being served illegal adverts and prevent under-18s seeing adverts for products and services that require the user to be an adult.

The government said online advertising, including banner or display ads and pop-ups, accounted for three-quarters of the £34.8bn spent on advertising in the UK last year.

But it cautioned that rapid growth had led to an increase in harmful marketing, pointing to fraudulent celebrity endorsements for financial scams and promotions for products such as weapons, drugs and counterfeit goods.

Creative industries minister Sir John Whittingdale said that “as online advertising has taken a steadily bigger share [of the overall advertising industry], the rules governing it have not kept pace and so we intend to strengthen them to ensure consumers are properly protected”.

In response to regulations that took effect in the UK in 2021, YouTube owner Google introduced measures to prevent ads that featured alcohol, gambling or prescription drugs being seen by people who were not logged into a Google account or were unable to confirm they were over 18. But some videos have slipped through the net, sometimes because content has been mislabelled.

Google said its policies did not allow ads personalisation and targeting based on age, gender or interests from Google account users below the age of 18. It added that it had several policies in place to prevent age-sensitive ads from reaching younger users.

In addition to convening a new task force to work with the industry, ministers are examining the creation of a regulator to oversee rules on online advertising. The watchdog could be either a new or existing body, such as Ofcom.

The proposals, which will be put out to consultation, would not affect the Advertising Standards Authority’s remit over legitimate, paid-for online advertising.

The government has already introduced measures to prevent fraudulent ads being published on social media and search engines through the Online Safety Bill, but the new rules will go further.

Last week, the Financial Conduct Authority, the main financial regulator, said it would aim to curb “significant consumer harm” from unsuitable and illegal promotions by applying its new consumer duty to social media posts.