In a letter to New York Times Company Chairman Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., CFA and other consumer and privacy groups are asking that future editions of the New York Times For Kids be advertising-free. A review of the November 19, 2017 edition of the Times For Kids, found that five of its 16 pages – 31% of the supplement – were full-page ads for the Google Home Mini. Marketing directed at children is always unfair. Children are considerably more vulnerable to the effects of advertising than adults. This marketing was particularly concerning because Google Home is harmful to children. Experts caution that internet-connected devices which “converse” with children and collect information about them pose a threat to children’s wellbeing.
