"With October's HFSS (high in fat, salt, or sugar) ad restrictions looming, food and drink brands are bracing themselves for a new era of constraint. But while the industry watches regulators, there's a quieter threat already shaping what gets seen, and it's coming from the platforms themselves. It's called shadowbanning. And while it's unlikely to hit HFSS brands with the same force, it's already rewriting the rules of visibility for those in more precarious categories."
"Take a moment to consider the restrictions a sexual wellness brand like Lovehoney faces (our new client). It operates within clear advertising guidelines, working closely with regulators to ensure compliance - but visibility is never guaranteed. The challenge isn't just regulatory; it's algorithmic. Lovehoney's products don't break the rules, but they do test comfort levels, and that's enough to trigger platform moderation."
October's HFSS ad restrictions will impose formal constraints on food and drink advertising, but platform-driven visibility controls are already reshaping outcomes. Shadowbanning functions as an opaque moderation mechanism that deprioritises content without formal bans. Sexual wellness brands like Lovehoney can comply with advertising rules yet still face reduced visibility because automated systems and human moderators respond to context, tone, words or perceived discomfort. Google and other platforms maintain ambiguous guidelines for sensitive categories, producing inconsistent enforcement. Brands in precarious categories must navigate algorithmic judgment in addition to regulation, as invisibility can occur before or beyond legal restrictions.
Read at The Drum
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]