The Danish government is moving to prohibit the advertising of unhealthy food and beverages to children under the age of 15, with a particular focus on social media influencers. The proposed legislation aims to amend existing marketing laws and will be enforced by the Consumer Ombudsman, with violations punishable by fines.

The initiative follows instances in 2024 where food companies engaged influencers popular with young audiences to promote their products. One notable case involved influencer Alexander Husum’s collaboration with The Burger Concept, where he created a custom burger and milkshake, encouraging his followers to order it. This campaign drew criticism from the Danish Consumer Council Tænk, which was upheld by the Forum for Food Advertising, citing a violation of the food industry’s code of conduct regarding advertising unhealthy foods to children.

Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Morten Bødskov emphasized the need for this measure, stating that the prevalence of targeted advertising towards children and young people on social media is a significant concern.

The Burger Concept contested the claim that their campaign with Husum was specifically aimed at children. However, the Consumer Council Tænk has previously succeeded in a complaint against other major influencers, such as Morten Münster and Jas and Mika, for advertising chips during the Kims Chips Battle.

Minister for Health Sophie Løhde indicated that the government plans to create a specific list of unhealthy foods that will be subject to the advertising ban. She also suggested that an influencer’s profile could be considered targeted at children if it has a substantial following among individuals under 15 years old.