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 said on Tuesday that 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.