Podcast: Protecting children from alcohol advertising online
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March 27, 2024
Online safety for children is a huge issue in our digital society and here at Alcohol Action Ireland we want to shine a light on how damaging digital advertising of harmful commodities, such as alcohol, can be.
Currently in Ireland, through a new body called Coimisiún na Meán, we are developing new online safety rules for video sharing platform services, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tik Tok and others. Today, we hear how we should protect children and their rights in this digital era.
Our expert guests are human rights lawyer and Online Safety Coordinator for the Children’s Rights Alliance, Noeline Blackwell, and director of the Center for Digital cultures and Societies at the University of Queensland, Associate Professor in the School of Communication and arts, Nicholas Carah.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
● How we can protect children from harmful advertising
● Dark advertising of alcohol that targets children
● The most important things for regulators to consider
● Why we need to listen to the voices of young people
● Taking pressure from parents and placing it on politcians
GUEST DETAILS
Noeline Blackwell is a human rights lawyer who joined the Children’s Rights Alliance in November 2023 as Online Safety Co-ordinator. Prior to that, Noeline was CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for almost 8 years and was previously Director of FLAC, the Free Legal Advice Centres. Noeline also spent a number of years in general practice, with a particular focus in immigration, refugee and family law. She has been a member of a number of statutory and NGO boards. She currently chairs the Independent Patient Safety Council and the Child Law Project. She was appointed as a member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in 2023.
https://ie.linkedin.com/in/noelineblackwell
Nicholas Carah is Director of Digital Cultures & Societies in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Arts. He is an Associate Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, and a Chief Investigator on ARC Discovery and Linkage projects. In 2023 they are Deputy Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Nicholas’ research examines the algorithmic and participatory advertising model of digital media platforms, with a sustained focus on digital alcohol marketing.
He is the author of Media and Society: Power, Platforms & Participation (2021), Brand Machines, Sensory Media and Calculative Culture (2016), Media and Society: production, content and participation (2015), Pop Brands: branding, popular music and young people (2010). And, co-editor of Digital Intimate Publics and Social Media (2018) and Conflict in My Outlook (2022). Nicholas has also been involved in research projects on alcohol-related harms and nightlife culture and the use of digital media in fostering cultural change in drinking culture. Nicholas is a Director and Deputy Chair of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.
https://nicholascarah.com/nicholascarah
MORE INFORMATION
Read our submission regarding Ireland’s online safety code.
https://alcoholireland.ie/our-work/policy/alcohol-marketing-protecting-children/
If you are looking for support visit https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/addiction/drugshivhelpline/