Gaps in policies on children-targeted marketing turn TikTok into a virtual candy store

 Zero restrictions on children-targeted marketing of unhealthy food items give brands free rein to advertise snacks high in sugar content. Second of a two-part special. Read part one here.

MANILA, Philippines — Brands selling sugary treats and chocolate biscuits aimed at children have increasingly been popularized on TikTok by Filipino “mommy” content creators marketing their products as affiliates.

What started as a side hustle has turned into a full-time job for many affiliate marketers in the popular short-form video platform, which actively encourages users to become affiliates with the tagline: “Connecting creators and sellers through creativity and commission.”

On one hand, for affiliate marketers like Janina Diwa, it’s a quick way to make cash without having to cough up a large capital needed for online selling.

On another, the 33-year-old content creator stressed that being an affiliate allows her to turn her genuine love for her favorite products into commissions.

“You don’t know who or how many viewers will watch your videos, so you have to give your best in each one of them. And I get to do that because I like the products I market,” Diwa said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

TikTok is not allowed to market to minors in the United States. But in the Philippines, marketing to children on the platform is allowed as current guidelines posted on its affiliate program only restrict the participation of minors in advertisements without an adult. 

This means that in the Philippines, there are virtually no restrictions on the extent to which unhealthy food products can be marketed to children on the app, many of whom watch videos through relatives’ phones even if they are not old enough to create an account. 

This gives agencies like the Department of Health’s National Nutritional Council (NNC) a tall task as it works towards a policy restricting the type of products that can be marketed to children. 

Philstar.com has reached out to TikTok Philippines for comment and will update this story with their response.

Government actions that seek to put a leash on the marketing of unhealthy foods is a regional issue that has had the Philippines and neighboring