Online advertising on popular children’s websites: Structural features and privacy issues

This study examined advertisements placed on popular children’s websites. A total of 117 commercial children’s websites, 933 unique ads and 813 advertising websites were included in the sample. Results show that a majority of children’s websites carried advertisements, a third of which were Google ads. Less than half (47%) of the children’s websites and about a quarter (24%) of the advertising websites complied with COPPA when they collected personal information from children. Implications for children’s online safety are discussed.

► We content analyzed 117 commercial children’s websites, 933 ads and 813 advertising websites.
► A majority of children’s websites carried advertisements, a third of which were Google ads.
► Eighty-nine percent of the ads on children’s websites were third-party ads.
► Forty-seven percent of the children’s websites complied with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.