On December 8, 2016, the UK's Committee of Advertising Practices announced new rules banning the advertising of high fat, salt, or sugar ("HFSS") food or drink products in children's media. The rules will apply across all non-broadcast media including in print, cinema, and online and in social media. The purpose of the ban is to help protect the health and wellbeing of children in the context of wider concerns in society about childhood obesity and the public health challenges it poses. The new rules also respond to shifting media habits among young people and evolving advertising techniques that have fundamentally changed children's relationship with the media and advertising. The rules, which will apply in media targeted at under-16s, will come into effect on July 1, 2017.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
