CARU calls on MrBeast to improve YouTube advertising
Additionally, CARU took issue with a promotional video featuring what appeared to be a legitimate blind taste test comparing Feastables chocolate to “top European chocolates.” The video shows all participants supposedly preferring the MrBeast product. While the YouTuber claimed the demonstration wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, CARU determined that children would reasonably interpret it as a valid product comparison.
Other issues
It seems that CARU doesn’t only have issues with the way MrBeast advertises his products. According to the organization, there are issues that extend beyond basic advertising. We’re looking to sweepstakes promotions and children’s privacy protection.
This includes marketing text like “MORE BARS = MORE ENTRIES.” There were also some potential privacy violations. For instance, the sweepstakes collected personal information including names, phone numbers, and addresses from participants without proper age verification or parental consent. This potentially violates federal COPPA regulations . Lastly, The Feastables website also used pop-ups to collect contact information that was then shared with third-party companies.
MrBeast and his Feastables company have since responded to the investigation. It appears that they do not agree with all the conclusions and the premises it was based on. They also say that some of these issues raised by CARU have since been revised and/or discontinued.
