Metaverse Ads Targeting Kids Can Sow Confusion, Group Warns (1)

Advertisers marketing to children in the metaverse should avoid blurring lines between content and ads, according to a new warning from a group that sets ad industry standards and monitors for compliance.

The metaverse, a space accessible by virtual reality headsets, has opened “a new frontier” for so-called influencer marketing, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit of the nonprofit BBB National Programs said in a compliance warning Tuesday.

Influencers are typically people with a large social media following who are paid to endorse products, potentially sowing confusion among children about whether it’s an ad. In the metaverse, virtual influencers can interact ...