Is YouTube the Wild West of Advertising? Experts Urge a Clampdown on Scams!

Ads on YouTube should undergo the same stringent vetting as traditional TV ads to shield users from a growing array of scams, misleading promotions, and fake celebrity endorsements, urged the Liberal Democrats. This call for action follows statistics revealing that YouTube has surpassed ITV as the UK’s second most-watched media platform after the BBC. Currently, while traditional television ads are pre-approved by bodies like Clearcast and Radio Central, YouTube’s ads slip through this scrutiny, allowing reckless advertising to proliferate unchecked.

Max Wilkinson MP, a spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, condemned the disparity in advertising regulations, stating that it is unjust for a platform gaining immense viewership to operate under a ‘lighter touch’ regime. He advocated for the regulator, Ofcom, to impose fines on YouTube and enforce advertising standards that protect consumers from abusive scams and bad-faith advertisers.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which monitors various advertising platforms, acknowledges the concerning increase in fraudulent ads, with over 1,691 reports logged in 2024. They highlighted a disturbing trend of deepfake technology being used to create misleading endorsements featuring public figures. For instance, a scam ad misappropriated King Charles’s image to endorse a cryptocurrency scheme.

YouTube users are encouraged to report suspected violations of Google’s ad policies, which ban dangerous products and deceptive promotions. Although Google claimed to have removed 411.7 million UK ads and suspended 1.1 million ad accounts in 2024, the Liberal Democrats argue that these measures are inadequate.

With the Online Safety Act in place, platforms are mandated to assess the risks of user exposure to harmful content, enhancing Ofcom’s oversight capacities. A code of practice focused on fraudulent advertising is under consultation and will be enforceable once it gets parliamentary approval.

Overall, the call to action highlights a crucial gap in the regulatory framework governing online advertising, urging immediate governmental intervention to protect consumers and ensure accountability in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.