Watchdog says platforms are failing to curb harmful health adverts
Britain's advertising watchdog has warned that social media firms are failing to protect users from misleading and potentially harmful health adverts. Guy Parker, chief executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, criticised platforms including Google, Meta and TikTok for allowing dangerous health claims to reach consumers, stating that online advertising has "amplified harms". The warning matters because vulnerable groups, particularly parents and people with serious health conditions, are being targeted with products that may not work or could cause harm.
The ASA's monitoring system identified 309,000 health-related paid adverts across major platforms over a four-week period in summer, with over 30,000 flagged in seven high-risk categories including baby sleep devices, mushroom supplements and hormonal health products. Specialists assessed around 600 sample adverts and found that in every category, at least nine in ten were rated medium or high compliance risk. Baby sleep products were the most serious concern, with 59 per cent rated high-risk due to violations of safer sleep guidance that could pose risks of suffocation or death.
- ASA finds 309,000 health adverts, over 30,000 high-risk
- Baby sleep devices rated 59% high-risk; could endanger infants
- Social platforms failing to stop misleading health claims
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Social media platforms and online search engines have become major channels for health-related advertising, from supplements to wellness products. These platforms profit from advertising revenue but do not necessarily verify whether the health claims made in adverts are accurate or safe. The question is whether tech companies should take more responsibility for the products they allow to be promoted to their users.
Health misinformation can be particularly harmful to vulnerable people. Parents searching for solutions to their children's sleep problems or people with serious illnesses seeking treatments may be especially susceptible to misleading or exaggerated claims. If an advertised health product does not work as promised, people might waste money or delay seeking proper medical care; if it is actually harmful, the consequences could be severe.
Britain's Advertising Standards Authority is the regulator responsible for upholding advertising standards in the country. The major platforms involved—Google, Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok—have billions of users worldwide. The ASA has been investigating whether these companies are adequately screening health adverts before they reach consumers.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Social media firms failing to protect users from misleading and harmful health adverts, regulator warns”.