Advertising shown in Australia cannot be false or misleading, writes policy expert Kat George. But false claims on the internet are vast and regenerative
How is it that ads on the internet don’t seem to be subject to Australian Consumer Law, which requires advertisers not to mislead consumers? For instance, I am forever being told “this new cooling device will cool any room in 10 minutes while using 96% less energy than traditional air con systems and requires no pipes or installation”. As a mechanical engineer I can guarantee this is absolute garbage.
Most of the ads I see on platforms like YouTube are like this – they unashamedly lie about the product and its performance. This includes ads for health products putting people at significant risk. Is it simply that regulators don’t have the funding to police this, or respond to consumer complaints? Or have we abandoned consumer law just because the claims are made online?