The Federal Trade Commission announced that it plans to hold a virtual event to examine "how best to protect children from a growing array of manipulative marketing practices that make it difficult or impossible for children to distinguish ads from entertainment in digital media."  The event, which will be held on October 19, 2022, will look at practices such as "the rapidly growing 'kid influencer' marketplace in which the line between paid promotions and unsponsored videos is often blurred."  

The FTC said that the specific topics to be covered at the program will include: 

• Children’s capacity at different ages and developmental stages to recognize and understand advertising content and distinguish it from other content;
• The harms to children resulting from the inability of children to recognize advertising;
• What measures should be taken to protect children from blurred content in digital marketing; and
• The need for and efficacy of disclosures as a solution for children of different ages, including the format, timing, placement, wording, and frequency of disclosures.

The FTC is also inviting public comment on these issues, which must be submitted by July 18, 2022.