Regulation Of Advertising Research Articles

On the Use of Proxies in Political Ad Targeting

Detailed targeting of advertisements has long been one of the core offerings of online platforms. Unfortunately, malicious advertisers have frequently abused such targeting features, with results that range from violating civil rights laws to driving division, polarization, and even social unrest. Platforms have often attempted to mitigate this behavior by removing targeting attributes deemed problematic, such as inferred political leaning, religion, or ethnicity. In this work, we examine the effectiveness of these mitigations by collecting data from political ads placed on Facebook in the lead up to the 2022 U.S. midterm elections. We show that major political advertisers circumvented these mitigations by targeting proxy attributes: seemingly innocuous targeting criteria that closely correspond to political and racial divides in American society. We introduce novel methods for directly measuring the skew of various targeting criteria to quantify their effectiveness as proxies, and then examine the scale at which those attributes are used. Our findings have crucial implications for the ongoing discussion on the regulation of political advertising and emphasize the urgency for increased transparency.

Public and professional stakeholders' perceptions of alcohol advertising and availability policies: A qualitative study.

Reducing alcohol availability and restricting alcohol advertising are effective ways to reduce harm from alcohol. Implementation of public health policies involves collaboration between different stakeholders, and is influenced by public opinion. This paper explores public and professional stakeholders' perceptions of alcohol advertising and availability policies. It is the first to capture consensus and divergence in narratives of these stakeholders. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 stakeholders from third sector organisations, government, public health and alcohol licensing in Scotland. We conducted 11 online focus groups with 45 participants, living in neighbourhoods in Scotland characterised by varying levels of urbanity, deprivation and retail density change. We gave participants a list of policies and discussed their views on acceptability, feasibility and likely success. Despite general consensus that regulation of alcohol advertising is an important priority, public stakeholders were concerned about the feasibility of advertising interventions and potential unintended consequences. While professional stakeholders were in favour of regulating alcohol availability, public stakeholders had misgivings about feasibility and effectiveness. When prompted to discuss specific interventions, similar views about protecting children and achieving cultural change emerged. This study highlights the importance of policy makers and other stakeholders to consider public stakeholders' opinions on alcohol policy and understanding that their views may be influenced by competing framings of alcohol problems. Attempts to increase support for alcohol control policies need to consider people's concerns about the effectiveness and potential unintended consequences of these policies, and the wider social context of alcohol consumption.

Exclusive and dual use of electronic cigarettes among European youth in 32 countries with different regulatory landscapes

BackgroundThe Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) partially harmonised the regulation of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in Europe, but individual countries maintain jurisdiction over bans on use in public places, domestic advertising, taxation...

Perceived Impact of Gambling Advertising can Predict Gambling Severity among Patients with Gambling Disorder.

There is growing evidence that gambling advertising disproportionately affects those experiencing more severe gambling harm. Such association has been studied by recruiting gamblers using online panels, by analysing registered users' data from gambling websites, and through surveys and focus group interviews. However, it is thought that these methods tend to overestimate gambling severity. The present study employed a sample of gamblers with a verified gambling disorder diagnosis (N = 210, 7.1% females, Mage = 39.4 years) recruited for a period of under two years at a large public hospital. It examined the relationship between self-reported impact of gambling advertising, gambling preference (strategic versus non-strategic) and gambling modality (online versus in-person). The results indicated that higher perceived impact of gambling advertising predicted higher gambling severity, which supports previous findings obtained from non-clinical settings. However, contrary to what was expected, strategic gambling and online gambling were not associated with higher perceived impact of gambling advertising, even though these groups are believed to be exposed to more gambling marketing and advertising from gambling operators. The study aligns well with available scientific evidence proposing further restrictions on gambling advertising regulation due to their disproportionate impact on those already experiencing gambling harm.

Social networks - help or hindrance in patient care

Abstract Background/Introduction After the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in the time people dedicate to social networks. Throughout periods of local and international lockdowns, these platforms became recognized as quicker and more effective tools for communication across various fields. Purpose We aimed to conduct a study to assess the effectiveness of deploying an information system to improve the communication process between patients and healthcare specialists. Methods A questionnaire consisting of 20 questions was utilized, completed by 43 patients or their relatives admitted between January 1, 2024, and January 31, 2024 in a cardiology ward of a tertiary centre. Results Among all participants, a proportion of 65% was represented by middle-aged women from urban areas, with 68.4% holding higher education degrees and 31.6% with secondary education. A vast majority (98%) reported using at least one social network daily for both professional and personal reasons. Eighty-three percent believe that doctor-patient interactions on social networks are ethical and regard it as a secure and effective method for communicating with healthcare professionals. Feedback from social networks did not significantly influence the selection of doctors or medical institutions. However, social network advertising notably affects the choice of medical specialists or institutions, with 48% of respondents indicating they sought out the most prominently featured hospitals or doctors on these platforms. Despite this, 72% of respondents were unaware of personalized advertising strategies or that such messages are often crafted by public relations firms. Most found social network communication with medical staff suitable for follow-ups (92%) but not for initial assessments or determining diagnostic procedures (81%). Still, there was reluctance to rely exclusively on social networks for choosing medical services. Conclusions Patients and their families are open to receiving medical information and communicating with healthcare providers through social networks. However, a limited understanding of the technologies employed to boost the visibility of specific content or endorse procedures on social media could expose patients to skewed information. Responsible regulation of medical information and advertising is imperiously needed.

REGULATION OF FINANCING OF ONLINE ELECTION CAMPAIGNS: INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE AND ELECTIONS IN KAZAKHSTAN

This study attempts to identify the extent to which current legislation on electoral campaigning is effective in addressing digital forms of campaigning. Ensuring that all forms of campaigning by political parties and candidates adheres to principles of transparency and equality is instrumental in preserving the integrity of elections. The data used for this research includes the analysis of legislation from the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Research also uses data on campaign advertising regulation introduced in the run-up to the 2023 parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan. Evidence suggests that legislation has been slow to respond to ever evolving forms of digital campaigning. In the context of Kazakhstan, while certain improvements have been introduced in legislation, it mostly relates to extending existing norms aimed at traditional campaign tools (TV and print media). As such, it is insufficient in addressing some of the bigger concerns related to financial accountability during elections. Given the latest developments in technology as it is used in political context, more measures are required for proper regulation.

Through the looking glass: An alcohol advertisement every 3 minutes.

There is growing concern over the lack of regulation of alcohol advertisements on social media platforms frequented by youths. This study aims to build upon existing literature by assessing the frequency with which young Australians (17-25) are shown advertisements promoting alcohol use and the themes utilised in these advertisements. A total of 125 Australian youths (mean age 18.74 years; 74.40% female) were recruited in exchange for course credit to participate in an online study. Participants scrolled through Facebook or Instagram for a period of 30 min and screenshotted any alcohol advertisements encountered. Participants then identified the advertisement qualities (or 'themes') present in the advertisements, based on pre-identified categories. Demographic, social media usage and historical personal, peer or familial substance use behaviour data was also collected. Seventy-one university students were exposed to 796 alcohol advertisements across both platforms, and they encountered an advertisement every 2 min and 43 s on average. Most advertisements included call to action features on both Facebook (78.80%) and Instagram (71.17%). Advertisements relating to ease of access (promoting subscription/home delivery; 41.72% and 42.56%) and sales incentives (special offers, promotions, samples or bonuses with purchase; 43.70% and 46.84%) were most common across both platforms. Alcohol advertisements are highly prevalent online, particularly among Australian youth social media users. Future research should endeavour to identify whether temporal use of alcohol is a predictor of subsequent exposure to alcohol advertising on social media, and whether this exposure is likely to increase successive alcohol use behaviours.

Improving Enforcement Measures and Establishing Clear Criteria: A Content Analysis of Tobacco-Brand-Owned Instagram Accounts.

This study examines limitations of the current regulatory framework for tobacco advertising on Instagram. We first investigate compliance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning label requirements for posts by tobacco-owned accounts. Next, we examine the prevalence of content that has been restricted in broadcast or print for its youth appeal, followed by content meeting more expansive criteria for youth appeal set forth in the FDA's guidance document. Posts by tobacco-brand-owned accounts between January 1, 2021, and February 14, 2022, were sampled from Mintel's Comperemedia Omni database. Instagram posts from 15 accounts were examined for violations of FDA warning label requirements and content that has been restricted on other mediums, including cartoons, sports branding, unauthorized claims, and young models (N = 1243). Finally, a subsample of n = 453 unambiguously branded posts was coded for themes that met the FDA's criteria of resonating with younger audiences, particularly that "adolescents rely on external information as they seek to shape their own identities." Only 12.8% of posts had fully compliant warning labels. Content that has been in some way regulated on other mediums, such as cartoons (1.6%), unauthorized health claims (<1%), sports branding (<1%), and young models (4.4%) were infrequent. However, a conservative analysis focusing only on branded posts found that posts frequently highlighted tech elements (45%), device customizability (24.5%), vaper identity (17.7%), stylized product photography (33.6%), social media engagement (32.2%), and memes (5.7%). Enforcement of existing regulations on Instagram is minimal. Explicit content restrictions applying evidence-based guidance on youth-appealing advertising are needed. This research has important implications for enforcing and expanding advertising regulations on social media. First, Instagram's self-imposed regulations are ineffective, permitting tobacco companies to post ads from brand-owned accounts despite claiming to restrict tobacco promotion on the platform. Second, policymakers should seek to apply FDA guidance on youth-appealing advertising informed by decades of research to create explicit enforceable content restrictions that extend beyond cartoons, sports figures, and young models to include content likely to situate tobacco use within the developing self-concept of vulnerable youth such as presenting e-cigarettes as hi-tech devices, highlighting vaper identity, or infiltrating online social media culture. Finally, greater resources for enforcement are needed given the only applicable regulation, warning labels, remains largely ignored.

Analysis of social media compliance with cannabis advertising regulations: evidence from recreational dispensaries in Illinois 1-year post-legalization

BackgroundIn the USA, an increasing number of states have legalized commercial recreational cannabis markets, allowing a private industry to sell cannabis to those 21 and older at retail locations known as dispensaries. Research on tobacco and alcohol suggests this new industry will use aggressive marketing tactics to attract new users and promote greater intensity of use. Of concern is that cannabis company advertising campaigns may be appealing to youth, promote false or misleading health claims, and disproportionately target low-income and minority communities. In this study, we evaluated recreational cannabis dispensary compliance with advertising regulations on social media in the state of Illinois.MethodsPrimary data were collected from a census of recreational dispensary Facebook and Twitter business pages during the first year of recreational sales in 2020. A quantitative content analysis was conducted to systematically analyze the data; a codebook that detailed a protocol for classifying posts was developed prior to the analysis using advertising regulations outlined in the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Violations of advertising regulations were organized into three categories: advertisements that may be appealing to youth (< 21 years old), advertisements that make health claims, and other advertising violations. The data were analyzed cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Additionally, differences in compliance were assessed by dispensary and neighborhood characteristics.ResultsThe results of the analysis revealed substantial and persistent non-compliance throughout the entire study period. Overall, nearly one third of posts had at least one violation and approximately one in ten posts met the criteria for appealing to youth or contained health claims. The majority of posts with health claims included health claims that were not qualifying conditions for medical cannabis access in the state of Illinois. No differences in compliance by neighborhood and dispensary characteristics were found.ConclusionsThe findings from this study suggest that systematic monitoring and enforcement is needed to ensure compliance with advertising regulations.

Regulation of Discriminatory Advertising (Mostly Housing)

Regulation of Discriminatory Advertising (Mostly Housing)

The role of the Political Advertising Regulation and European Media Freedom Act in the EU's anti-disinformation approach

The role of the Political Advertising Regulation and European Media Freedom Act in the EU's anti-disinformation approach

"Why am I seeing this regulation?": Exploring underlying issues from the proposed Political Advertising Regulation

"Why am I seeing this regulation?": Exploring underlying issues from the proposed Political Advertising Regulation

An expenditure analysis revealing how Philip Morris advertisements coincide with tobacco policymaking in Switzerland.

Prior research has linked media tobacco promotion to increased tobacco use and favorable perceptions of tobacco products. Switzerland's tobacco lobby employs advertisements to sway policy decisions in its favor, yet no recent research has assessed this in detail. Our study aims to provide detailed estimates of tobacco industry (TI) advertisement costs, focusing on Philip Morris International (PMI) in Switzerland, and examine potential chronological links between TI advertisement campaigns and parliamentary discussions on tobacco bills. By spreading knowledge on this issue, we aim to support the development of future tobacco advertisement regulations. We conducted an expenditure analysis of tobacco-related press advertisements in Swiss print media published between August 2020 and August 2021, accessed through the media intelligence firm Argus Data Insights. Advertisement costs were estimated using publicly available data. We plotted expenditure sums of PMI against key parliamentary session dates featuring discussions on proposed tobacco control measures, such as tighter restrictions on advertising. Over 12 months, 501 advertisements with tobacco-specific headlines were published in Swiss press media. Of these, 437 advertisements (87.22%) were linked to PMI. PMI accounted for 88.21% (CHF 6486969) of total advertisement expenditure. Notably, PMI advertisements coincided with key political sessions discussing tobacco legislation in parliament, with a limited presence outside these periods. PMI advertisements were published parallel to key moments of parliamentary discussions, suggesting an attempt by TI to potentially influence discussions. Applying such an advertisement monitoring methodology helps understand the contextual conditions of public health in Switzerland. By analyzing TI advertisements in print media, we sought to highlight regulatory gaps and support the creation of stricter advertising regulations. We recommend continuing such research to strengthen tobacco control policymaking. Key public health efforts should include raising awareness of TI tactics, implementing a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, and strategically engaging with the media in tobacco control campaigns.

PERAN SATUAN POLISI PAMONG PRAJA PADA PENERTIBAN REKLAME DI KOTA SURABAYA

This study aims to examine and describe the role of the Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja Kota Surabaya (SATPOL PP) in the Enforcement of Advertising in Surabaya City. The research method uses a qualitative descriptive approach with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, and documentation. The results of the research are that the role of the Surabaya City Civil Service Police Unit in controlling advertising is considered quite good, especially in implementing policies, implementing human resources, and coordinating with related agencies. However, there are still deficiencies in providing facilities and infrastructure for dismantling and coordinating with billboard owners. An active role is needed from the Government and Civil Service Police Units to improve facilities and coordination, as well as carry out more effective outreach regarding advertising regulations.

Influence of Attitudes and Cosmetic Advertisements on the Selection of Cosmetics Containing Harmful Ingredients by Adolescents in Medan City

Cosmetics play a significant role in the daily routines, especially for teenagers in the city of Medan. However, concerns regarding the safety of cosmetics, particularly those containing harmful substances, are on the rise. This research aims to identify the attitudes and cosmetic advertisements influencing the selection of hazardous cosmetics by teenagers in Medan. Involving 385 respondents aged 17–22 in Medan, distributed across 18 districts, this study employs a cross-sectional approach and statistical analyses such as chi-square and multiple logistic regression to measure the impact of specific variables on the behavior of cosmetic selection among teenagers. The research findings indicate that attitudes and cosmetics advertisements play a crucial role in the decisions of cosmetic selection among teenagers. Therefore, actions to enhance positive attitudes, the availability of safe cosmetic products, and stricter regulation of cosmetic advertisements need to be considered. All of these measures are expected to assist teenagers in making wiser choices and supporting their health in selecting cosmetic products.

Appraisal of Issues/Challenges and Remedies on the Role of Trade Marks in Quality Control

There is no doubt that trademarks have a role to play in quality control. It is little wonder that there are issues or challenges that the present work identified and discussed. It engaged in piracy and counterfeiting with unsatisfied market demands, the absence of functional agency, the problem of advertising and government regulations. The paper recommended, among others, the strengthening and standardization of quality regulation agencies, review of their laws and continuous sensitization.

Advertising on Video-Sharing Platforms in the Toy and Food Categories in Spain

This article reviews the advertising content on the YouTube channels featuring kid influencers with the highest number of subscribers in Spain. The goal is to observe the evolution of the elements that define this type of content as advertising content, even though the vast majority of the advertising content is not labelled as such. An analysis was conducted of all the videos posted during the 2022 Christmas period on the 15 YouTube channels with the largest audiences, which produced a sample of 61 videos that possessed the pertinent characteristics. Content analysis was applied and the degree to which the content complied with food and toy advertising regulations was examined.

Challenges compounding foster care services in the Limpopo Department of Social Development, South Africa

Pre-Trial Diversion services by juvenile offenders from high density suburbs in Zimbabwe. Foster care as an alternative placement for children in need of care and protection comes with innumerable challenges in the Department of Social Development (DSD). This paper uses a scoping literature review method to discuss the challenges of foster care services in Limpopo DSD. Literature on foster care was perused, analysed and derived into two major themes which constituted the discussion of this paper; namely administration challenges such as backlog, ineffectiveness of newspaper advertisement, and CSG top-up; human resource challenges such as inadequate supervision/management and low morale and burnt-out of social workers. This paper suggests practical and possible ways in which the situation could be remedied, such as amending the newspaper advertisement regulation in the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 and capacitating social work managers and supervisors to be effective in supporting social workers underground to improve their performance.Key wordsHow to cite this article using ASWNet styleMamukeyani E. (2023). Challenges compounding foster care services in the Limpopo Department of Social Development, South Africa. People centred – The Journal of Development Administration (JDA), 8(3), 68-74. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jda.v8i3.3&#x0D; Visit journal website: https://jda.africasocialwork.net

The regulation of digital advertising under the DSA: A critical assessment

This article critically assesses to what extent the Digital Services Act (DSA) protects consumers in relation to three important developments in digital advertising: (i) the rise of influencer marketing as a new form of native advertising (ii) the personalisation of advertising and (iii) hybrid ads as advertising solutions that find themselves at the intersection of influencer marketing and personalised advertising. We describe and analyse these developments to better understand whether and how they are governed by the DSA. While the DSA specifically left influencer marketing outside of the material scope of its advertising rules, new forms of advertising (i.e. on-platform influencer marketing, which we refer to as hybrid ads) challenge this choice, as we argue they may fall under the DSA's advertising rules, just as personalised advertising. The resulting regulatory choice of differentiating between advertising practices on social media is odd at best, since it does not take into account the characteristics of these practices or the essential role of social media platforms in other forms of advertising than personalised advertising. The paper critically reveals three main pitfalls related to the way in which the DSA tackles consumer protection concerns in relation to the selected digital advertising developments: coherence/fragmentation; little consumer benefits; and limited future-proofing.

Deceptive advertising, regulation and naive consumers

In markets where buyers have incomplete information about product quality, consumer sophistication strengthens the case for stronger regulation of deceptive advertising by firms. In a model where a fraction of buyers are naive (i.e., cannot update beliefs based on market signals and believe all advertising claims) and they stand to gain from receiving reliable information about product quality, I show that the socially optimal level of penalty is (a) substantially higher than the penalty required to merely avoid deception by firms and (b) increasing in the proportion of sophisticated buyers. The optimal penalty for false advertising not only discourages deception but also reduces prices by eliminating signaling distortion. Moreover, a low level of penalty is worse than no penalty from a social welfare standpoint.