16 May 2018
The Irish Heart Foundation today (Wednesday, 16 May) strongly welcomed an amendment to the Data Protection Bill making microtargeting of children by junk food marketers using data harvested by social media platforms a criminal offence.
The amendment will mean that the individual targeting of children by junk food marketers using large amounts of personal information extracted from them by digital media platforms will no longer be permitted.
The Irish Heart Foundation, which has vigorously highlighted how marketers have been using Cambridge Analytica-type micro-targeting tactics to bombard children with junk food advertisements for years, said it was an historic decision which accepts the primacy of children’s health over commercial interests.
“Protecting children from online marketing in particular is crucial given the established link between junk food marketing to children and childhood obesity, which State-funded research estimates will result in the premature deaths of up to 85,000 of children on the island of Ireland,” said Irish Heart Foundation Policy Manager, Kathryn Reilly.
“While online advertising of junk food and drinks to children will remain unregulated and therefore detrimental to children’s health, the marketers’ power to influence children will be significantly blunted by the banning of micro-targeting which enables more personalised, effective and therefore potentially more damaging marketing.
"The marketers’ power to influence children will be significantly blunted"
“We hope that the Seanad will now accept the amendment adopted in the Dail and that the Bill will be passed into law as quickly as possible,” Ms Reilly added.
A ban on the ‘targeted marketing’ of unhealthy food and drinks, particularly the targeting of children and young people, more research and cardiac services for women’s heart health, legislation to protect young people from nicotine addiction caused by e-cigarettes and tackling health inequality are among the key priorities outlined in a new Irish Heart Foundation Strategy.
Read MoreThe Irish Heart Foundation, with support from the Government of Ireland, has this week launched its range of printable and digital posters to help everyone join our campaign for cleaner air for healthier hearts. These assets have been designed for the public, state bodies, and businesses to raise awareness of the health impact of air pollution and the steps they can take to protect their health and the health of their families.
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