Regulators are using 'artificial' avatars to monitor how brands behave online
After five gambling brands were caught serving ads on 11 children’s websites, it is becoming clear that the use of technology is helping regulatory enforcement - and Australia should take note (The Guardian).
Key points
- The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority uses artificial online profiles (avatars) of children aged 6-16 years old to detect advertising on children’s websites. Online non-compliance is as easy as creating a child avatar online
- While the technology has been used this year to watch non-logged children's websites and YouTube channels, its use within social media platforms used by advertisers is not far off
- The ASA has tracked online gambling brands in June 2019, as well as 50 HFSS (High Fat Sugar Salt) food brands on their websites and official social media sites, but not related paid advertising on social media
- ASA promises follow-up monitoring and extending this surveillance to logged-in material especially logged-in social media environments
- ASA warned brands that breaches by third-party companies who deliver the ads for the brand need to be covered by licensing conditions for compliance.
- ASA calls this a ‘new phase’ in compliance that proactively looks for breaches rather than acting on complaints as it did previously.
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has a five-year plan for monitoring brands with 'artificial avatars' to address issues around advertising which are of concern to the public.
Advertising Intelligence is the data specialist that the ASA described in Marketing Week as helping develop avatars for it to simulate any kind of consumer. It can simulate in a nuanced way the different online behaviours of a child as well as an adult consumer. It is suggested that this will enable much greater experiential insight; a more natural representation of a child’s view of their online worlds.
This is likely to make the ASA more proactive, rather than reactive in enforcing and legislating against perceived breaches - a fundamental change to the way ASA operates.
Given that Australia tends to follow the UK in many advertising regulatory measures, and the increasing requirement for global compliance, Australian brands must prepare to face similar standards of scrutiny.
Once avatars can monitor ‘logged on’ content on social media, many of the ‘under-the -radar’ product placement and gifted collaborations with social media influencers etc., will be become apparent.
Online advertising will inevitably be subject to more regulation if technology provides regulators with numberless electronic mystery shoppers who can test large swathes of branded content, that humans alone cannot.
There is an increasing backlash from the public about children having access to or being encouraged by social media influencers to engage in gambling or other undesirable behaviour. The recent BBC Panorama expose on the 13 year old who lost money on a gambling game promoted by a 17 year old YouTube influencer, is stiffening regulatory resolve over online advertising directed at or made attractive to children.
