The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have published findings from its latest online monitoring sweep, which has helped the ASA identify and tackle age-restricted ads appearing in children’s media.

Advertisers placing age-restricted ads online are required, under the Advertising Code, to target their ads away from child audiences.

Over a three month period, using monitoring tools to capture ads served on a sample of over 50 websites and YouTube channels attracting a disproportionately high child audience, the ASA identified a number of instances where the ad rules were broken.

In total 70 different betting ads from 4 gambling operators appeared on 8 websites. The ASA said it would not name and shame the operators or take action against them at this stage. Instead, it is telling them to clean up their act.

The ASA will run this monitoring exercise quarterly over the next twelve months, and take action where age-restricted ads are served to child audiences. The ASA will report publically on these figures, as well as compliance action taken against repeat offenders, and share them with relevant industry groups.

Advertising Standards Authority Chief Executive, Guy Parker said: “The ASA is using technology to proactively monitor online ads to help build a culture of zero tolerance for age-restricted ads appearing on websites aimed at children.

We expect advertisers and the parties they contract with to use the sophisticated tools available to them to target their ads responsibly. This is just one part of a wider set of initiatives we’re undertaking to ensure children are protected online and we’ll report on our further work in this area in the coming months.”