May 12, 2021

‘Big Food’ and ‘Big Data’ Online Platforms Fueling Youth Obesity Crisis as Coronavirus Pandemic Rages

A report released today calls for federal and global action to check the growth of digital marketing of food and beverage products that target children and teens online. Tech platforms especially popular with young people—including Facebook’s Instagram, Amazon’s Twitch, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Google’s YouTube – are working with giant food and beverage companies, such as Coca Cola, KFC, Pepsi and McDonald’s, to promote sugar-sweetened soda, energy drinks, candy, fast food, and other unhealthy products across social media, gaming, and streaming video.

April 7, 2015

Child and consumer advocates urge Federal Trade Commission to investigate and bring action against Google

Washington, DC – Tuesday, April 7 – A coalition of prominent children’s and consumer advocacy groups filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today requesting an investigation of Google, charging the company with unfair and deceptive practices in connection with its new YouTube Kids app. The complaint details a number of the app’s features that take advantage of children’s developmental vulnerabilities and violate long-standing media and advertising safeguards …

October 19, 2011

Consumer groups file FTC complaint against PepsiCo for ‘deceptive and unfair digital marketing practices’ targeting junk food to teens

May 18, 2010

Digital and social media marketing promotion of beer and liquor threatens youth, report warns

Alcohol companies are using the latest new media technologies to promote their products using methods that appeal to youth, explains a new report released today from the Center for Digital Democracy and Berkeley Media Studies Group of the Public Health Institute. Alcohol Marketing in the Digital Age details how beer and alcohol companies are targeting consumers through social media, online video, mobile phone applications, and virtual online communities.

May 17, 2007

Reporte amplio nuevo documenta el uso de tácticas en comerciales digitales de parte de las compañías de alimentos y refrescos dirigidos a niños y a adolescentes

Las compañías de alimentos y refrescos están usando las tecnologías digitales más avanzadas para promover sus productos a niños y a adolescentes, según un reporte publicado hoy en el National Press Club por el Berkeley Media Studies Group y el Center for Digital Democracy. El reporte—“Comerciales Interactivos de Alimentos y Refrescos: Dirigiendo a Niños y a Adolescentes en la Era Digital,”—documenta en detalles vívidos como las marcas principales de comida, soda, y comida rápida están usando varias tácticas nuevas—incluyendo teléfonos celulares, mensaje instantáneo (IM), juegos de video, videos auto-generados, y espacios virtuales tridimensionales—dirigidas a niños y adolescentes, la mayoría de las veces por debajo de la atención de sus padres.

Comprehensive new report documents use of digital marketing tactics by food & beverage companies targeting children & teens

Food and beverage companies are using the latest digital media technologies to promote their products to children and adolescents, according to a report released today at the National Press Club by the Berkeley Media Studies Group and the Center for Digital Democracy. The report documents in vivid detail how major food, soft drink and fast food brands are deploying a panoply of new techniques to target children and adolescents, often under the radar of parents.