Protecting Kids from 

Stealth Advertising in Digital Media 

An FTC Event · October 19, 2022 

Welcome and Opening Remarks 

9:00 am Lina M. Khan 

Chair, Federal Trade Commission 

9:15 am Presentation: Children’s Advertising Show and Tell 

This presentation will set the scene for the event by discussing the range of digital 

spaces children, including teens, frequent and the types of advertising and marketing 

techniques used to advertise to them. The presenter will provide visual examples of 

ads children encounter in digital media, such as kid influencer videos and in-game 

ads. The presenter also will discuss the current legal and self-regulatory landscape in 

this space. Afterward, the presenter will answer questions from the moderator. 

Presenter: 

Mamie Kresses 

Vice President, Children’s Advertising Review Unit, BBB National Programs 

Moderator: 

Tawana Davis 

Assistant Director, Division of Advertising Practices, Federal Trade Commission 

10:00 am Panel 1: Children’s Cognitive Abilities – What do they know and when? 

This panel will discuss children’s cognitive abilities at different ages and 

developmental stages to recognize and understand advertising content and to 

distinguish it from other content. Panelists will discuss relevant research, as well as 

any impacts or potential remedies. 

Moderator: 

Elizabeth Nach 

Attorney, Division of Advertising Practices, Federal Trade Commission 

Panelists: 

Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn 

Director, Games and Virtual Environments Lab 

Associate Professor, Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, 

University of Georgia 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protecting Kids from Stealth Advertising in Digital Media 

Liselot Hudders 

Associate Professor, Ghent University 

Sonia Livingstone 

Professor of Social Psychology, London School of Economics 

Jenny Radesky 

Division Director, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics 

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School 

Eva A. van Reijmersdal 

Associate Professor of Persuasive Communication, 

Amsterdam School of Communication Research ASCoR, University of Amsterdam 

11:15 am Break 

12:30 pm Panel 2: The Current Advertising Landscape and its Impact on Kids 

This panel will discuss the impacts on children of the current advertising landscape, 

including any harms stemming from children’s inability to distinguish advertising 

from other content. Panelists will discuss factors at different ages and developmental 

stages that could mitigate potential harms. The panel will set the stage for the 

following panel by exploring how best to address any harms. 

Moderator: 

Michelle Rosenthal 

Attorney, Division of Advertising Practices, Federal Trade Commission 

Panelists: 

James C. Cooper 

Professor of Law and Director, Program on Economics & Privacy, 

Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University 

Josh Golin 

Executive Director, Fairplay 

Jennifer L. Harris 

Senior Research Advisor, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health 

Girard Kelly 

Senior Counsel & Director, Privacy Program, Common Sense Media 

Sheila A. Millar 

Partner, Keller and Heckman LLP 

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Protecting Kids from Stealth Advertising in Digital Media 

1:45 pm Break 

2:00 pm Panel 3: Looking Forward and Considering Solutions 

This panel will discuss the current legal regime and challenges, and potential 

regulatory, self-regulatory, educational, and technological tools to protect children 

from blurred content in digital marketing and to mitigate any harmful effects of 

advertising on children. 

Moderator: 

Michael Ostheimer 

Attorney, Division of Advertising Practices, Federal Trade Commission 

Panelists: 

Josh Blumenfeld 

Manager, Government Affairs and Public Policy, YouTube 

Nellie Gregorian 

President, Fluent Research 

Genevieve Lakier 

Professor of Law and Herbert and Marjorie Fried Teaching Scholar, 

University of Chicago Law School 

Bonnie Patten 

Executive Director, Truth in Advertising 

Sneha Revanur 

Founder & President, Encode Justice 

Lartease M. Tiffith 

Executive Vice President, Public Policy, Interactive Advertising Bureau 

Closing Remarks 

3:45 pm Serena Viswanathan 

Associate Director, Division of Advertising Practices, Federal Trade Commission 

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