Strict Regulatory Control of Advertising Aimed at Children Launched

The National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection (NKFH) and the government agencies under its professional control will this year focus on advertising aimed at children and minors, who are considered vulnerable consumers.

Advertisements often influence children’s values and emotional state, leading to unwanted effects in the long term, the NKFH justified its decision on continued monitoring of advertising activities. The experience gained from the infringements detected in the course of last year’s inspections also justifies the need to monitor compliance with advertising and commercial regulations, they stressed.

Last year, of the nearly 600 advertisements checked, 39 were non-compliant, mainly due to the advertising of alcohol products in the immediate vicinity of schools. This was more pronounced for outdoor advertising and shop windows, where the rate of non-conformity was 20%. Several infringements were followed by fines totaling HUF 21 million (EUR 52,770).

This year’s inspections will focus on advertising that is harmful to children’s development or presents children in dangerous or violent situations.

Given the level of non-compliance in previous years, this year’s inspection will also cover restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic beverages. The inspections will cover all advertising media, including outdoor advertising, shop windows, newspapers and magazines, leaflets, radio and television, and the internet.

NKFH is also checking games software available on mobile phones, as last year inspections in this category found problems with the age rating of games in all cases.

The rise of social media has brought with it the emergence and popularity of influencers, that can have a varying impact on minors. In many cases, the content produced does not reveal that it contains advertising and therefore warrants particular scrutiny. Content that directly encourages children to buy the advertised product is also subject to monitoring.

Dr Lilla Német-Weingartner, President of NKFH, said: “Protecting the healthy development of children and minors is a common social mission, as they are the foundation of the future of our country. In line with the objectives of child protection, in addition to continuous monitoring, we also pay particular attention to monitoring compliance with advertising bans and restrictions, such as the prohibition of advertising that encourages violent behavior or behavior that endangers personal or public safety, or the prohibition of advertising that encourages behavior that harms the environment or nature.”

Recent Survey Shows that Children under 10 Are Signing Up to TikTok