Overview

• The Liberal Democrats have formally urged the government to bring YouTube advertising under broadcast-style oversight with mandatory vetting and penalties.
• Online ads currently follow a voluntary Google Ads framework subject to ASA action only after complaints, lacking real-time scrutiny and pre-approval.
• Ofcom data reveals YouTube now tops weekly UK viewership and leads among children’s media consumption, amplifying the reach of unvetted adverts.
• Recent deepfake and impersonation scams have used AI-generated likenesses of public figures to push fraudulent investments, with one victim reported to have lost £74,000.
• YouTube insists its strict internal ad policies are sufficient and argues it should not be regulated like a traditional broadcaster.