Restricting digital marketing in the context of tobacco, alcohol, food and beverages, and breast-milk substitutes

Book excerpt: WHO has long recommended marketing restrictions in the contexts of tobacco and nicotine products, alcoholic beverages, foods and beverages with respect to children, and breastmilk substitutes. But the question of how to implement these recommendations has become more complex as digital media has grown and large online platforms have centered their businesses around advertising, and specifically around targeting of advertising to consumers based on their online activity or personal data they have shared. As a response to these challenges, this technical product examines how restrictions on digital marketing are implemented by Member States as part of broader marketing restrictions, describes current challenges specific to digital marketing and provides policy options and approaches that Member States can adopt to strengthen the design and implementation of restrictions.