WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Executive Vice President for Public Policy Lartease Tiffith will join a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) virtual event on Wednesday October 19 at 9 a.m. ET to discuss problems and solutions surrounding children’s advertising online.
To watch “Protecting Kids from Stealth Advertising in Digital Media,” visit FTC.com on Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET. Registration is not required.
Panels will feature “researchers, child development and legal experts, consumer advocates, and industry professionals to examine the techniques being used to advertise to children online,” as the FTC responds to the President’s call to increase privacy protections for children.
IAB previously submitted comments to the FTC underscoring that the trade association “supports the Commission’s effort to protect children online while also ensuring that children can enjoy the benefits of digital advertising” including ad-subsidized free and low-cost online content and services.
IAB encourages advertisers to follow IAB, FTC and Better Business Bureau guidelines for age-appropriateness and is urging the FTC to distinguish between children and teen audiences “capable of making critical, informed decisions about access to speech.”
Tiffith, whose public policy panel will livestream at 2 p.m. ET, has warned that the FTC risks overstepping its authority if the agency interprets federal law to give it broad discretion over online content, which could jeopardize “premium digital advertising and content for all ages.”
After an effort by the FTC in the 1970’s to ban children’s advertising on television, Congress allowed the agency’s funding to lapse, and the agency shut down for a brief period.
“Protecting the most vulnerable in our society is an area where we can all agree, and IAB looks forward to working with Congress and the FTC to help protect kids online,” said Tiffith. “We strive to provide our members with the best available guidance and to ensure that internet-enabled education, mental health, and emotional support services remain available for millions of young people who may not otherwise have access.”
