Liberal Democrats demand crackdown on unscrupulous YouTube ads after Ofcom data reveals platform's dominance

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Liberal Democrats are calling for reforms to advertising regulation, demanding that YouTube advertising be subjected to much more stringent oversight, to protect the millions of Brits consuming content on the platform from irresponsible and scam ads.

This comes as new Ofcom data highlights YouTube as the most viewed content for UK adults after the BBC (overtaking ITV), and the most consumed platform for children.

The Party is calling for urgent steps to be taken so that regulation keeps pace with the huge shift being seen in media consumption habits, bringing an end to the current “two-tier system”.

Currently, adverts on YouTube in the UK (which are served via Google Ads) are not subject to the same Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) co-regulation model as traditional TV and radio, and are not covered by the Broadcast Code.

This means the industry voluntarily funds and establishes its own rules. In contrast, broadcast advertising on TV and radio operates under a co-regulatory framework, where the ASA is contracted by Ofcom to regulate content on a day-to-day basis, providing a stronger oversight.

Unlike YouTube, most TV and Radio ads in the UK have to be pre-approved before airing, protecting the public from misleading or irresponsible content. Online, irresponsible advertising can too often proliferate before any intervention to review it or take it down.

The ASA has previously published research on the scourge of scam ads online. In 2024, they announced that some of the biggest types of scam ads online included celebrity impersonations to sell products like diet pills, and deepfake ads of public figures promoting risky cryptocurrency investments.

The current self-regulation for online advertising is increasingly insufficient given YouTube's immense reach and influence, particularly among younger audiences.

As well as tougher oversight of advertising content before it appears on YouTube, the party is arguing that Ofcom should be much more stringent in applying fines to platforms that let scam ad content through, repurposing those revenues to support victims of online harms.

Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, said:

"It's clearly not right that a platform now more watched than almost any traditional broadcaster is still operating under a 'lighter touch' advertising regime. Regulations need to catch up with the reality of how people are watching content and unscrupulous advertisers must not be allowed to use loopholes to exploit people.

"We cannot allow a two-tier system where traditional broadcasters face robust scrutiny, while a digital giant like YouTube is allowed to mark its own homework.

“It's time for the regulator to treat YouTube adverts much more like TV and radio adverts, to protect UK consumers from misleading or harmful content. The Government needs to act now.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

First reported by BBC and Guardian.

Recent Ofcom figures on rise in YouTube consumption are here

• The platform is now the second most-watched service in the UK, behind the BBC and ahead of ITV.
• At home, people spent 39 minutes on YouTube per day in 2024, with 16 minutes of this via the household’s TV set. Younger adults aged 16-34 are watching 18 minutes of YouTube a day on TV, while one in five (20%) children aged 4-15 head straight to the app as soon as they turn the set on.
• Over 55s are now watching nearly double the amount of YouTube content on their TVs compared to the previous year (11 minutes per day in December 2024, up from just 6 minutes in January 2023).  Last year, 42% of all YouTube viewing by this age group was on a TV set (up from 33% in 2023).

Previous reporting on ASA research into scam ads here

Further background on advertising regulation is available from the House of Commons library here

• The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regulates advertising content across all media in the UK.
  • Self-regulation: advertising industry voluntarily establishes and funds its own regulation (applies to non-broadcast advertising).
  • Co-regulation: ASA is given responsibility for regulating broadcast (TV and radio) adverts under contract from Ofcom (applies to broadcast advertising).