-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email This article was originally published on The Conversation . The Australian government has been investigating whether we should ban unhealthy food advertising online, and how it could work. In the United Kingdom, a ban on unhealthy food and drink advertising online will start in October 2025.
We recently used the Australian Ad Observatory to investigate targeted junk-food ads on Facebook in Australia. Our study finds that unhealthy food and drinks are promoted in ways designed to appeal to parents and carers of children, and children themselves. Additionally, young men in our study were being targeted by fast-food ads.
Kids, young people and parents should be aware of the strategies online advertisers use to normalise unhealthy eating patterns . We should all demand a more healthy digital environment . Our work supports ongoing calls for a ban on junk food advertising online.
What did we see in the ads? The Australian Ad Observatory has created the world's largest known collection of the targeted ads people encounter on Facebook. Our 1,909 volunteers have donated 328,107 unique ads from their social media feeds. This gives researchers an unprecedented opportunity to examine what ads Australians see on social media and how they are being targeted.
We searched the database for ads promoting the top-selling unhealthy food and drink brands. These are "discretionary" or "sometimes" foods that tend to be high in fats and sugars. They include f.
