Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU)

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Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU)

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Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU)

Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU)

The Children s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) was established in 1974 to promote responsible advertising to children and help companies comply with laws and guidelines that protect children under age 13 from deceptive or inappropriate advertising.

CARU is also the first Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-approved Safe Harbor under the Children s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Monitoring & Enforcement

CARU monitors all child-directed media to ensure that marketing and data collection and management practices are compliant with CARU’s self-regulatory Advertising and Privacy Guidelines.

See all Decisions

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Decision Summaries

3.03.26

NAD Case #7485: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc.

12.22.25

NAD Case #7486: ADC Solutions USA, LLC d/b/a Horizon Brands, LLC

9.18.25

CARU Case #6455: MrBeastYouTube, LLC

3.24.25

NAD Case #7341, CARU Case #6454: Bubble Beauty, Inc.

2.26.25

CARU Case #6453: AI Buddy, Inc.

12.19.24

CARU Case #6452: Just Play furReal Daisy the Yoga Goat

8.06.24

CARU Case #6450: KidGeni Generative AI Creator

View All

BBB National Programs provides summaries of all case decisions in the Case Decision Summary library. For the full text of decisions, subscribe to the Online Archive. Members of the press can request the full text of decision by emailing the request to [email protected] .

The South Carolina Age-Appropriate Design Code (AADC) introduces new requirements for independent, third-party platform assessments and public reporting.

Set up a consultation to learn about our comprehensive, end-to-end solution to help companies meet SC AADC requirements with confidence:

* Independent platform assessment evaluating your platform design against SC AADC requirements

* Executive-ready report summarizing key risks and compliance gaps

Get Started

CARU’s Guidance

CARU’s Guidelines

CARU s Guidelines are widely-recognized industry standards to assure that advertising directed to children is not deceptive, unfair, or inappropriate for its intended audience and that children s online privacy is protected.

CARU monitors child-directed media for compliance with its Guidelines, seeking voluntary cooperation of companies and, where necessary, referral for enforcement action to an appropriate federal regulatory body, usually the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or state Attorneys General.

Privacy Guidelines
Advertising Guidelines

Compliance Warnings

* August 2022 Compliance Warning: Advertising Practices in the Metaverse - CARU issued a compliance warning regarding the application of CARU s Advertising Guidelines to advertising practices directed to children in the metaverse.

* May 2024 Compliance Warning: AI in Child-Directed Advertising and Data Collection - CARU issued a compliance warning on the application of CARU s Guidelines to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Metaverse & AI Guardrails

The Guardrails for Child-Directed Advertising and Privacy in the Metaverse are a set of realistic, actionable recommendations and best practices intended to help companies:

* Develop metaverse experiences directed to children,

* Comply with existing advertising and privacy law, and

* Engage responsibly with children online.

CARU s AI Working Group released The Generative AI & Kids Risk Matrix, a set of realistic, actionable considerations and best practices to help companies identify and mitigate AI-related risks specific to children, while also equipping parents and consumers with tools to understand potential harms and take informed, protective actions.
Access the Guardrails
Access the Risk Matrix

Kids Industry Connect: The New Era of Marketing to Kids + Teens

The 2026 Kids Industry Connect Summit takes place on November 18 in McLean, VA and brings together industry leaders from across the toy, gaming, entertainment, food & beverage, streaming, and adtech sectors to explore the fast-evolving landscape of marketing to children and teens in the United States.

Register Now

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CARU’s Services

COPPA Safe Harbor Program

No matter the size of your business, making data privacy a priority is a key component of maintaining the trust of your customers. And when customers are faced with the question of who to trust in a dynamic child-directed marketplace, only a COPPA Safe Harbor seal can ensure that your products comply with the stringent requirements of the COPPA Rule.

Join the Safe Harbor

Pre-Screening Services

From concept to final cut, CARU offers pre-screening services to help businesses and agencies spot and correct advertising and privacy issues before ads, contests, and promotional websites go live.

Explore Pre-Screens

Media & Resources

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All Content
Press Releases
Blogs
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Press Releases
Blogs
Podcasts

8.06.26

How to Recognize Advertising to Children

7.16.26

Safety First When Advertising to Kids

6.24.26

Congress Revives Youth Online Protection Efforts

6.18.26

Selling to Kids Online? Make it Pressure Free

5.27.26

How South Carolina’s AADC Law Stands Apart

5.20.26

South Carolina AADC Nine Core Elements

5.19.26

Teen Mental Health & Public Nuisance Laws

3.11.26

Kids’ Privacy - From Niche Issue to Global Priority

12.17.25

COPPA, State Privacy, & Teens Online

10.20.25

Children’s Advertising Review Unit Publishes Safeguards for Generative AI & Kids

8.26.25

The Laws Governing Online Moderation and Safety

8.12.25

What does safety online really mean?

6.26.25

Operational Realities in Tween Privacy

3.27.25

Privacy Abbreviated: COPPA 3.0?

8.20.24

In the Sandbox: Protecting Child Influencers

5.01.24

BBB National Programs Issues Compliance Warning on AI in Child-Directed Marketing

1.09.24

BBB National Programs Announces 2024 NARB Panel Pool Members

10.03.23

BBB National Programs Unveils New Metaverse Guardrails for Child-Directed Marketing

12.12.22

Walmart Joins CARU COPPA Safe Harbor Program

8.23.22

Children's Advertising Review Unit Issues Metaverse Compliance Warning

4.26.22

Media Advisory: Sesame Workshop to Keynote CARU Conference

10.20.25

Children’s Advertising Review Unit Publishes Safeguards for Generative AI & Kids

5.01.24

BBB National Programs Issues Compliance Warning on AI in Child-Directed Marketing

1.09.24

BBB National Programs Announces 2024 NARB Panel Pool Members

10.03.23

BBB National Programs Unveils New Metaverse Guardrails for Child-Directed Marketing

12.12.22

Walmart Joins CARU COPPA Safe Harbor Program

8.23.22

Children's Advertising Review Unit Issues Metaverse Compliance Warning

4.26.22

Media Advisory: Sesame Workshop to Keynote CARU Conference

View All

8.06.26

How to Recognize Advertising to Children

7.16.26

Safety First When Advertising to Kids

6.24.26

Congress Revives Youth Online Protection Efforts

6.18.26

Selling to Kids Online? Make it Pressure Free

5.27.26

How South Carolina’s AADC Law Stands Apart

5.20.26

South Carolina AADC Nine Core Elements

5.19.26

Teen Mental Health & Public Nuisance Laws

View All

3.11.26

Kids’ Privacy - From Niche Issue to Global Priority

12.17.25

COPPA, State Privacy, & Teens Online

8.26.25

The Laws Governing Online Moderation and Safety

8.12.25

What does safety online really mean?

6.26.25

Operational Realities in Tween Privacy

3.27.25

Privacy Abbreviated: COPPA 3.0?

8.20.24

In the Sandbox: Protecting Child Influencers

View All

Challenges & Complaints

CARU handles complaints involving national advertising in all media directed to children under age 13, as well as internet and mobile advertising and online privacy concerns.

File a Complaint
CARU’s Procedures

50 Years of CARU

CARU has been advancing responsible child-directed marketing and privacy practices for 50 years.

CARU50th.org

Contact the CARU Team

Fill out the form below to connect with our team and learn how you can increase transparency and trust in the advertising industry.

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