Children's Wellbeing Guide

The Children's Wellbeing Guide outlines a framework for advertisers to mitigate risks to children—categorised as content, contact, conduct, and contract—through six essential steps. These steps include embedding safety-by-design, complying with global legal frameworks like the GDPR and the UK's Online Safety Act, and avoiding exploitative practices such as microtargeting and behavioural advertising for those under 18. The guide emphasizes that child safety should be a brand priority and recommends defining a child as anyone under 18, in alignment with the UNCRC.

• Children are exposed to four primary risk categories, termed the '4Cs': content, contact, conduct, and contract, which include issues such as ads promoting unhealthy behaviours and the illegal targeting of age-restricted products.
• There is a significant discrepancy between actual and reported ages on social media; research by Ofcom indicates that one third of children aged 8 to 17 with profiles use a false date of birth to appear as adults, with 39% appearing as 16 or older.
• The guide recommends six strategic steps for advertisers: embedding safety-by-design, complying with legal frameworks (such as the GDPR, USA's CARU guidelines, and the EU's AI Act), creating age-appropriate advertising, reducing exploitative business models, implementing privacy-by-design, and ensuring fair treatment and diversity.
• Specific prohibited or discouraged advertising practices for children include behavioural advertising for those under 18, microtargeting, dark patterns, neuromarketing, emotional analytics, and the promotion of age-inappropriate products like gambling, tobacco, and alcohol.
• The guide advocates for the adoption of international standards and frameworks, including the UNCRC definition of a child as under 18, the IEEE 2089 standards for age-appropriate digital services and online age verification, and the ICO's Age Appropriate Design Code.

APA

Conscious Advertising Network (2024). Children's Wellbeing Guide. https://www.consciousadnetwork.com/childrens-wellbeing-guide/

Chicago

Conscious Advertising Network. Children's Wellbeing Guide. 2024. https://www.consciousadnetwork.com/childrens-wellbeing-guide/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Conscious Advertising Network |title=Children's Wellbeing Guide |date=17 July 2024 |url=https://www.consciousadnetwork.com/childrens-wellbeing-guide/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{consciousadvertisingnetwork2024childrens, author = {{Conscious Advertising Network}}, title = {{Children's Wellbeing Guide}}, institution = {Conscious Advertising Network}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://www.consciousadnetwork.com/childrens-wellbeing-guide/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }