MPS call for changes to advertising and employment rules

The rise of online influencers has exposed regulatory gaps which leave children at risk of exploitation and unacceptable compliance with advertising rules, a new report from MPS says.

A report from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee on influencer culture has called on the Government to strengthen employment and advertising laws to protect children - both as viewers and influencers - and online performers.

In their recommendations, MPS say children, parents and schools must be given more supportindevelopingmedialiteracy and rules around advertising for children should also be bolstered, while updates to UK child labour regulations should be brought up to date to reflectthegrowthofchildinfluencers.

It also calls for a code of conduct for influencer marketing to be commissioned.

In addition, the report urges the Government should conduct a study into the influencer ecosystem so it can be properly regulated as it grows as well as manage rules around pay standards and practice, and advertising regulators be given more power to enforce the law around advertising and close influencer loopholes.

"Theriseofinfluencerculture online has brought significant new opportunities for those working in the creative industriesandaboosttotheukeconomy,"julianknight,thechairof the committee, said.

"However, as is so often the case where social media is involved, if you dig below the shinysurfaceofwhatyouseeon screenyouwilldiscoveranaltogether murkier world where both the influencers and their followers are at risk of exploitation and harm online.

"Child viewers, who are still developing digital literacy, are in particular danger in an environment where not everything is always as it seems, while there is a woeful lack of protection for young influencers who often spend long hours producing financially lucrative content at the direction of others."

Mr Knight added that "inaction"hadleftregulationsbehind the times in a digital world, and that was particularly concerning when it came to the protection of children.

According to Ofcom data, in 2021 up to half of all children said they watched vlogger or Youtube influencer content.