Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with online game producers on enabling parents or carers to block marketing of in-app purchases to children while playing online games.

The Government is committed to ensuring that video games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone, particularly children, and that where they contain in-app purchases, guidance is followed so that consumers of all ages can play with confidence.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) are responsible for setting and enforcing the UK Advertising Codes and are independent of the government. CAP codifies standards for non-broadcast advertising, which includes online and in-game advertisements, as part of its UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (‘CAP Code’). In September 2021, CAP consulted on, and published, specific guidance on in-game purchases, which covers types of in-game storefronts, platforms for purchasing games, and broader advertising for the games themselves. The guidance was subsequently reviewed and updated in May 2024. This guidance reiterates that, where an ad is directed at children, there should be no direct exhortation to purchase or ask a parent or guardian to purchase.