Once upon a time, most advertisements were public. If we wanted to see what advertisers were doing, we could easily find it — on TV, in newspapers and magazines, and on billboards around the city.
This meant governments, civil society and citizens could keep advertisers in check, especially when they advertised products that might be harmful — such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, pharmaceuticals, financial services or unhealthy food.
However, the rise of online ads has led to a kind of “dark advertising”. Ads are often only visible to their intended targets, they disappear moments after they have been seen, and no one except the platforms knows how, when, where or why the ads appear.
In a new study conducted for the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), we audited the advertising…
