Minors as content creators

Abstract

This paper analyzes the degree of compliance with advertising regulation related to content ‎created by or aimed at underage people on YouTube. Research was done using content analysis on a ‎sample of 463 videos that were published on the YouTube platform in the period from 2016 to 2020. Videos ‎were selected from the channels of the 15 most popular children’s YouTubers, according to their position ‎on the Social Blade Ranking, which originated from the United States, the United Kingdom, or Spain. The ‎main objective of the study was to determine whether the videos disclose that they are about commercial ‎content and whether this is done in accordance with laws in force. In addition, it was researched whether ‎personal data were requested for promotional purposes. The article shows how despite the existence ‎of advertising regulation in all of the researched countries, compliance is minimal regarding the ‎identification of advertising content as such.‎