Advertising directed at children

The party programme establishes that policy shall be designed so that the best interests of children come first and that the market's grip on the internet and media must be broken. The counter-proposal's requirements for a ban on targeted advertising to children on the internet and in apps, and more controls and sanctions, are a direct application of these commitments. The plan also accepts binding minimum levels within the EU on areas where national regulation is not enough, which supports making the Swedish rules the minimum level.

• children's best interests firstdecisive»Vänsterpartiets politik ska utformas så att barnens bästa kommer i första rummet.« (party programme ↗)“The Left Party's policy shall be designed so that the best interests of children come first.”
• break market power on the net»Marknadsmakten har ett starkt grepp om Internet, tv och kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Market power has a strong grip on the Internet, television and culture.”
• binding minimum levels in the EU»kan Vänsterpartiet till exempel vara positivt till bindande miniminivåer på dessa områden« (party programme ↗)“can the Left Party for example be positive to binding minimum levels in these areas”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme establishes that all children have the right to a safe upbringing according to the child convention and criticizes how increasingly more areas of life are embraced by market logic: when everything has a price, nothing has any value. It also wants the EU to be a driving force in the matter of children's rights. Stricter legislation against targeted advertising to children, with sanctions and Swedish rules as the EU minimum level, thus follows from the plan's demarcation against commercialization.

• the child convention as standarddecisive»Alla barn ska ha rätt till en trygg uppväxt i enlighet med FN:s barnkonvention.« (party programme ↗)“All children shall have the right to a safe upbringing in accordance with the UN child convention.”
• limits to market logic»När allt har ett pris har ingenting något värde.« (party programme ↗)“When everything has a price, nothing has any value.”
• EU drives children's rights»EU bli pådrivande i frågan om barns rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“EU become a driving force in the matter of children's rights.”
• counteract commercialization»Allt fler områden av den mänskliga tillvaron omfattas av marknadens logik.« (party programme ↗)“Increasingly more areas of human existence are embraced by market logic.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme explicitly requires that advertising aimed at children under twelve years shall be prohibited and that the spread of advertising shall be restricted especially among children and young people. The counter-proposal's demands for stricter legislation, prohibition of targeted advertising to children on the internet and in apps as well as more checks and sanctions are an application of exactly this commitment. The programme also supports Sweden being able to lead with stricter protective legislation within the EU.

• prohibition of children's advertisingdecisive»Sexistisk reklam och reklam riktad mot barn under tolv år ska vara förbjudet, liksom reklam för spel och alkohol.« (party programme ↗)“Sexist advertising and advertising aimed at children under twelve years shall be prohibited, as shall advertising for gambling and alcohol.”
• restrict the spread of advertising»Vi vill begränsa reklamens utbredning, särskilt bland barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“We want to restrict the spread of advertising, especially among children and young people.”
• right to lead in the EU»Medlemsländerna måste få rätt att gå före med hårdare lagstiftning till skydd för miljö och hälsa« (party programme ↗)“Member states must be allowed to lead with stricter legislation to protect environment and health”
• advertising-free environments for children»Skolan ska vara en reklamfri plats.« (party programme ↗)“Schools shall be advertising-free places.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan explicitly opposes increased internet regulation and wants to clear out the regulatory thicket rather than add new bans, controls, and sanctions. A ban on targeted advertising to children on the internet and in apps goes in the opposite direction. The plan simultaneously highlights children's rights as decisive, which pulls in another direction, hence the assessment is uncertain.

• no to increased internet regulationdecisive»Centerpartiet motsätter sig en ökad reglering av internet.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party opposes increased regulation of the internet.”
• fewer rules for businesses»Rensa upp i regelträsket för entreprenörer, stora som små.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Clear out the regulatory thicket for entrepreneurs, large and small.”
• children's rights weigh heavily»Av största betydelse är då barnens rättigheter och perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Of paramount importance are children's rights and perspective.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants consumer legislation in EU countries to be at a high ambition level and is based on the consumer being able to make well-informed decisions, which children by definition have difficulty doing. That the Convention on the Rights of the Child is Swedish law and that the plan consistently demands special consideration for children's sensitivity speaks for stricter rules against targeted advertising to children in digital channels. The plan's respect for mutual recognition within the internal market however makes support for Swedish rules as EU minimum level weaker.

• high ambition in consumer protectiondecisive»Målet ska vara att konsumentlagstiftningen i EU-länderna ligger på en hög ambitionsnivå, men med« (party programme ↗)“The goal shall be that consumer legislation in EU countries is at a high ambition level, but with”
• Convention on the Rights of the Child as law»Genom att FN:s barnkonvention införlivats i svensk lag tydliggörs barns och ungas rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“By incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Swedish law the rights of children and youth are clarified.”
• informed consumer»I en fungerande marknadsekonomi har konsumenten kunskap och makt att fatta välinformerade beslut.« (party programme ↗)“In a functioning market economy the consumer has knowledge and power to make well-informed decisions.”
• special consideration for children»särskild hänsyn tas till barn och ungas känslighet« (party programme ↗)“special consideration is taken to children and youth's sensitivity”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan requires that misleading advertising and aggressive marketing methods be countered and that the child's best interest come foremost in decisions concerning children. Tightened legislation against targeted advertising to children on the internet and in apps is an application of these commitments in a digital environment. The plan also puts voluntary activity before commercial interests when children's and young people's leisure time is designed.

• counter aggressive marketingdecisive»reklam och i övrigt aggressiva marknadsföringsmetoder ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“advertising and otherwise aggressive marketing methods shall be countered.”
• the child's best interest foremost»barnets bästa ska komma i främsta rummet.« (party programme ↗)“the child's best interest shall come foremost.”
• voluntary before commercial interests»Ideell verksamhet ska prioriteras framför kommersiella intressen vid utformningen av statens och kommunernas fritidspolitik.« (party programme ↗)“Voluntary activity shall be prioritised before commercial interests in the design of state and municipal leisure policy.”
• effective consumer protection»och välinformerade konsumenter samt effektiva rättsliga spelregler.« (party programme ↗)“and well-informed consumers and effective legal rules of the game.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan has no commitment on marketing to children. Its stated line is instead to reduce bureaucratic red tape and counter over-implementation, with EU directives as the main rule at the minimum level, which goes against driving Swedish regulations as the EU minimum level and strengthening bans and sanctions. The plan also places responsibility for children first and foremost on parents. The conclusion is uncertain because the matter is not addressed.

• EU rules at the minimum leveldecisive»Minska regelkrånglet och onödig byråkrati, bland annat genom att motverka överimplementering i Sverige av EU-beslut« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce bureaucratic red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy, including by countering over-implementation in Sweden of EU decisions”
• reduced regulatory burden»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove one-third of companies' administrative costs and one-third of bureaucratic red tape”
• parental responsibility before bans»Betona och förstärka föräldraansvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Emphasize and strengthen parental responsibility”

The documents do not address marketing or advertising directed to children. The closest lying principle is that the child's best interests shall always be considered and that children shall be kept free from external influence and indoctrination. Based on that principle, the plan speaks for sharpened protection against targeted advertising to children, but the evidence is weak and the conclusion therefore uncertain.

• child's best interestsdecisive»Att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That the child's best interests shall always be considered”
• children free from influence»Förskolan ska vara fri från politiska ställningstaganden och indoktrinering« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Preschool shall be free from political positions and indoctrination”
• young people's mental health»Stärka insatserna för att förbättra ungas psykiska hälsa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen efforts to improve young people's mental health”