The advertising watchdog has banned a YouTube video ad for a violent film featuring Twilight star Taylor Lautner, after a mother complained her two-year-old saw it while trying to watch a kids animation called The Duck Song.
The internet video ad, which was run by the film's maker Lionsgate UK, promoted the 12A-rated film Abduction.
The ad featured sequences involving shooting, punching, a couple kissing and a man kicking through a glass window.
The Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint from a mother of a two-year-old who said it was irresponsible to run such content around an animation, called The Duck Song, clearly designed to be viewed by young children.
Lionsgate said it expected YouTube users to be over 13 years old because that is the age the Google-owned video sharing website asks users to be.
YouTube looked to shift any blame for the ad appearing in children's content telling the ad watchdog that it is "merely a platform" and is not responsible for the content of videos or advertising that appears.
The ASA said YouTube may ask users to be over 13 but it does not enforce registration.
In addition the company actively puts out usage information to advertisers in the US that shows that in 2010 7% of YouTube users were aged two to 11 and 9% were aged 12 to 17.
"We acknowledged that data was relevant to a different market but considered it nevertheless indicated that children were likely to view footage, and therefore ads, on YouTube," said the ASA.
"We considered the 'The Duck Song' clip during which the ad appeared, was likely to appeal to children and noted the ad was served in such a way that it could be viewed by all YouTube users. Because it included scenes that were unsuitable for younger children and it could be viewed by all YouTube users, we considered the ad was inappropriately targeted. We therefore concluded that it breached the [advertising] code".
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