Youth Marketing Regulation Board Suggests Improvements for MrBeast YouTube and Feastables in Terms of Advertisement Transparency, Accuracy of Product Promises, and Data Collection Procedures
In a recent investigation conducted by the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) in November 2022, concerns have been raised regarding the advertising practices of Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, and his affiliate, Feastables. The CARU found that MrBeast's YouTube channel did not comply with its Ad Guidelines, as advertising was not presented in a way that made it clear to the child audience that it was advertising. Several of MrBeast's YouTube videos were observed to have video descriptions and pinned comments containing advertising content unrelated to the videos, which were not clearly labeled or identifiable as advertising to children. The investigation also focused on the Feastables sweepstakes, a promotion run by the chocolate brand launched by MrBeast in 2022. CARU determined that the sweepstakes did not comply with its Privacy Guidelines and potentially the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by failing to provide a neutral age-screening mechanism to ensure the sweepstakes website did not collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13 without first obtaining verifiable parental consent (VPC). The Feastables sweepstakes, such as the Blue Wave $10K and Halloween $10K, featured a large countdown timer and text like 'Time is Running Out. Buy Feastables for a chance to win $10K,' which CARU determined constituted sales pressure. A full-page popup on the Feastables website repeatedly solicited the user's email address and phone number, and evidence was found that the email and phone contact information was sent to non-affiliate third parties. Moreover, the advertisement for the Feastables sweepstakes did not adequately disclose the free means of entry, the minimum age requirements, and the likelihood of winning, thus failing to comply with CARU's Advertising Guidelines. In the 'Blue Wave $10K sweepstakes,' the free means of entering the sweepstakes were only disclosed in the FAQ section linked to halfway down the page, making it not adequately disclosed according to CARU's Ad Guidelines. CARU recommended that MrBeastYouTube, LLC, and its affiliate Feastables update their advertising and data collection practices to comply with CARU's Advertising Guidelines, CARU's Privacy Guidelines, and COPPA. They also advised ensuring that material information is disclosed clearly and conspicuously to children in language they can understand, that advertising is clearly identifiable as advertising to the children, and that advertising is truthful, not misleading, and appropriate to the child audience. It is worth noting that MrBeast's YouTube channel has over 400 million subscribers, making him one of the world's most popular content creators. Feastables, the chocolate brand launched by MrBeast in 2022, generated over $215 million in revenue in 2024. Despite these figures, it is crucial for platforms and brands with significant reach to adhere to advertising guidelines to protect their audience, especially children. The Feastables team has cooperated to implement CARU's recommendations, and it is expected that they will take the necessary steps to ensure compliance moving forward. CARU's recommendations also extend to considering whether a neutral and effective age gate would be appropriate for future sweepstakes and promotions.
