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Google to block junk food ads for children

Man on scales with a timebomb
Man on scales with a timebomb

Google will start blocking junk food adverts for children in the UK amid government efforts to help Britons slim down.

The tech giant is today unveiling a new policy which will require advertisers to identify which of their products are high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS), including cakes, chocolate, energy drinks and hot dogs.

Adverts for these products will then be labelled and will automatically not be shown to anyone under-18 on YouTube or Google. This will be determined by the age they give when signed into Google accounts. Anyone not signed in on YouTube will also not be shown the ads.

Companies will have to adhere to HFSS nutritional guidelines set by Google, which the US firm has developed based on standards set by health experts and organisations.

Those who fail to self-declare products which are classed as HFSS items may have their adverts prevented from running.  If legal restrictions are stricter than those guidelines in certain countries, companies will need to follow the laws.

The policy will come into force in early October, and will apply across the European Union and the UK.

News of the move comes just days after the Government signalled it would be taking a tougher stance on unhealthy food adverts, although Google is understood to have been developing the policy for the last year.

Under the recently unveiled National Obesity Strategy, the Government has said it would be banning all TV and online adverts for food high in fat, sugar and salt before 9pm.

Crisp, confectionery and sugary drinks companies are estimated to spend around £150m every year on advertising, with a growing proportion going towards sites such as Google and Facebook.

A consultation has also been kicked off on whether this type of advertising needs to be banned all together.

Google is understood to be planning to review the consultation once it is released. However, it is thought the latest step by Google to protect younger users could go some way in reining in the need for a full on ban.

Currently, around 1 in 3 children leave primary school overweight or obese, and the issue has been termed the "obesity time bomb" which could lead to significantly higher costs for the NHS.

The recent push from the Government comes as figures suggest that those who are heavier have a greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19.

New research by Public Health England late last month found that severe obesity could increase the chance of dying from coronavirus by as much as 90pc.

Tam Fry, the chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said if other companies followed Google's lead, "though it would not be enough in itself to see off obesity, it would undoubtedly be a significant step towards that aim".

"Actually, childrens' HFSS ads on any media should be banned completely and any aimed at adults should also be included. Google's axe is a great start towards protecting everybody."

The social media giant will also likely face scrutiny over how well it monitors such ads, especially given the changes will still allow those who are not signed into a Google account to see the ads on its search page.

It follows a string of damning reports last year over Google advertising space being bought by bad actors.

Andrew Bailey, the Financial Conduct Authority boss, earlier this year complained that the regulator was "having to do Google's job" itself in vetting advertisers.

Google has since said it is taking a tougher stance, and in May introduced a new set of policies designed to clamp down on scam ads.

It had said it continually "updated these policies to protect users and are transparent about the changes we make".

Do you think junk food adverts need to be regulated? Let us know in the comments section below.