Children's Advertising Review Unit - Advertising to Children

Children’s Advertising Review Unit

The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), the nation’s first Safe Harbor Program under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), helps companies comply with laws and guidelines that protect children under age 13 from deceptive or inappropriate advertising and ensure that, in an online environment, children's data is collected and handled responsibly. When advertising or data collection practices are misleading, inappropriate, or inconsistent with laws and guidelines, CARU seeks change through the voluntary cooperation of companies and where relevant, enforcement action.

Program Impact

CARU was established in 1974 to support self-regulation in the advertising industry and promote responsible advertising to children. The results of CARU’s work is available to the public.

 

 

Monitoring and Enforcement

CARU monitors child-directed media to ensure that advertising is truthful, accurate, appropriate, and compliant with its self-regulatory guidelines, and that online marketing is compliant with both the CARU guidelines and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).

Pre-Screening Service

From concept to final cut, CARU’s pre-screening services help businesses and agencies spot and correct problems before ads and promotional websites go live. Take advantage of our one-on-one support as you navigate COPPA and CARU compliance.

COPPA Safe Harbor Services

CARU is the first FTC-approved Safe Harbor Program under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and can help your company achieve its business goals while ensuring compliance with COPPA requirements, other applicable online data privacy laws, and CARU’s guidelines.

Guidelines & Procedures


CARU leads the development and ongoing management of advertising guidelines for children under age 13. To help businesses and advertisers, CARU provides education, one-on-one support, and legal guidance on: 

 

  • How to be compliant in the delivery of everything from digital ads to product packaging
  • The art of delivering for an impressionable and vulnerable child audience
  • Children’s privacy, unique to digital content and data collection for children under age 13 (these guidelines reflect changes in COPPA)
  • How to approach product presentations, appropriate disclosures, sweepstakes and contests, safety, endorsements, and sales pressure

 

August 2022 Compliance Warning: Advertising Practices in the Metaverse

News & Blog

Decision

Children’s Advertising Review Unit Finds Roblox in Violation of Its Advertising Guidelines; Recommends Modifications and Compliance Monitoring

McLean, VA – May 12, 2023 – The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) has found Roblox in violation of CARU Advertising Guidelines for responsible advertising to children under age 13. This case also reviewed privacy concerns that will be addressed with Roblox's COPPA Safe Harbor. 

Read the Decision Summary
Decision

CARU Finds Gameloft’s Disney Getaway Blast App in Violation of COPPA and CARU’s Advertising and Privacy Guidelines; Gameloft Agrees to Corrective Actions

McLean, VA – November 1, 2022 – The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) has found Gameloft S.A. in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and CARU’s Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Advertising and for Children’s Online Privacy Protection. Upon receipt...

Read the Decision Summary
Blog

A Not-So-Sweet Sixteen? Teen Online Privacy and Safety Faces New Policy Dilemmas

Pop culture powerhouse Barbie teaches us that corporations can have a long-lasting impact on children and teens, and the FTC seems to agree, adopting an aggressive stance on children’s and teen privacy in the last few months. We break down what this means for companies in looking to engage a child or teen audience.
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Blog

A Cool Sweepstakes Can Get You in Hot Water

When marketing to younger consumers, contests and sweepstakes can be effective vehicles for increasing brand engagement but can also present risks and traps for brands making use of them.
Read more

 

BBB National Programs provides summaries of all case decisions in the Case Decision Summary library. For the full text of National Advertising Division, National Advertising Review Board, and Children’s Advertising Review Unit decisions, subscribe to the Online Archive. For members of the press, the full text of any BBB National Programs decision is available by emailing the request to press@bbbnp.org

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

14th Annual Blue Plate Media Lounge  at the Toy Fair

Dona Fraser, Senior Vice President, Privacy Initiatives, BBB National Programs will present on Navigating Children's Brand Experiences, Innovation and Responsibility in the Metaverse
Learn more
Oct 02, 2023 New York, NY

IAPP Privacy. Security. Risk. 2023

New Kids on the Block: Navigating the Newest Consumer Group in Privacy (Teens)
Learn more
Oct 03, 2023 San Diego, CA

2023 ACC Annual Meeting

Dona Fraser, Senior Vice President, Privacy Initiatives, BBB National Programs will lead a session on Maximizing the Metaverse: Avoiding Advertising Pitfalls and Finding Success
Learn more
Oct 23, 2023 San Antonio, TX
 

 

 

CARU Supporters

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CARU Supporters have access to benefits and resources including:

 

  • Access to CARU experts to answer your questions about advertising and privacy issues directed to children

  • Complimentary advertising pre-screening and guidance from expert staff

  • Invitation to the annual Supporters’ Council Meeting to discuss industry challenge

 

 

 

Interested in more information about becoming a CARU Supporter?  Contact our National Partners team to learn how.

 

 


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