Children are growing up in a digital world where games, social media, and online interactions are part of everyday life. As they play, share, and engage online, they become a key target group for marketers and advertisers—and increasingly exposed to commercial practices that can exploit their vulnerabilities. Some of these practices exert undue pressure on children to purchase trending products or virtual in-game items such as skins or game passes.
On social media, children navigate a mix of personal and commercial content, often encountering influencers who, by leveraging their close relationships with young followers, intensively market products.
Beyond direct marketing, peer pressure also plays a role, as children feel compelled to keep up with trends or customize their avatars with the latest features. In many games, spending takes place through virtual currencies, obscuring the real cost of purchases and making it difficult to monitor spending.
It is increasingly clear that some traders are taking advantage of children’s credulity through aggressive or manipulative pressuring techniques aimed at maximizing profit.
This webinar is organized in the framework of the UNCTAD informal working group on consumer protection in e-commerce. Experts will explore how digital markets are affecting children and the pressures they face online. Consumer protection authorities will also share tools and strategies they are using to address these challenges.
