The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) will be undertaking a major audit of the alcohol industry’s compliance to age restrict social media accounts.
Alcohol and alcohol alternative (zero alcohol products) marketers are required to apply age restriction controls to their social media accounts to exclude minors from being served with paid and organic marketing posts.
The requirement is a core obligation in limiting the exposure of minors to alcohol marketing.
As part of ABAC’s proactive regulatory strategy, the audit to be conducted by an independent research firm will focus on the prime social media platforms of Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
The randomised audit will review the social media accounts of producers and retailers and include both signatories and non-signatories to the ABAC Scheme.
ABAC chair Hon Tony Smith said in 2022, the first ABAC audit of compliance with age restriction controls showed good overall compliance levels but identified room for improvement.
Including better resources for industry in navigating the different systems of the social media platforms.
"In response, ABAC developed a set of industry checklists that provide helpful links on how to apply age restrictions," Smith said.
"We strongly encourage all alcohol and alcohol alternative marketers throughout the industry to self-audit all of their brand social media accounts now.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.