![CARU 1974-2024 50th](https://assets.bbbprograms.org/images/default-source/misc-images/caru50th-badge.png?sfvrsn=6fb118cb_1)
Advancing Responsible Child-Directed Marketing & Privacy Practices for 50 Years
For the last 50 years, companies marketing to children have held each other to a higher standard. In response to a credible threat to advertising to children, in 1974 the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) was established as the U.S. mechanism of independent self-regulation for protecting children under age 13 from deceptive or inappropriate advertising.
The History
1970
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1974
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1996
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2001
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2010s
About CARU
The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) 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.
CARU is the nation’s first Safe Harbor Program under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Become a CARU Supporter
Lead the charge. Strengthen responsible child-directed marketing and privacy practices. In CARU’s 50th year, CARU Supporters are invited to take a front-row seat in all of this year’s events and activities.
It's frequently said that industry must choose between self-regulation and regulation, but they both have an important role to play. For the last 50 years in the children’s space, companies have held each other to a higher standard while complying with federal and state law, and continue, into CARU’s 50th year, to raise the bar for the protection of children.
![]() | Rukiya Bonner |
CARU 50th Event Series
East Coast CARU Supporter Meeting
CARU’s 50th Anniversary Reception
Summer CARU Supporter Meeting
West Coast CARU Supporter Meeting
Thought Leadership
Warning: Use Caution with AI in the Children’s Space
Continuing to Evolve: the 10s, 20s, and the Future of CARU
CARU in the 90s and 00s: Privacy & the Internet
The Evolution of CARU: Laying the Foundation in the 70s and 80s
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Supporting CARU’s 50th Year
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