Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and what recent steps she is taking to monitor where non-compliance and abuse of UK advertising codes persist in the video game sector.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating advertising in the UK, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA.

The CAP code, which applies to in-app and in-game adverts if they are directly connected with the supply of goods, services, opportunities or prizes, includes specific rules intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications. If advertising includes the omission, exaggeration, or ambiguous presentation of information, it can be considered misleading.

The Government welcomes action the ASA has taken to ensure compliance with the advertising codes in the video game sector. In particular, we welcome action to ensure consumers are not misled on the presence of loot boxes in video games. In February, the ASA published an Enforcement Notice confirming that loot boxes must be clearly disclosed on app store pages which are accessible to UK audiences, even when the video game developer is not based in the UK. This action will help to ensure that parents and players are able to make informed choices about the games they purchase or download.

The Government fully supports the stance set out in this enforcement notice and expects the industry to be aware of, and comply with, these disclosure requirements and the wider codes.