Young campaigners raise awareness of surveillance advertising and call on MPs and retailers to act
The experience has taught me lots about how to address issues that I care about, including who to speak to, and actions that should be taken
Young creator from the ‘Stop Following Me’ campaign
Every time we go online we feel pressured to buy stuff that we don't want or need. We’re worried about the negative impacts of this excessive pressure to consume - on young people now - and on future generations. It is harming our mental and physical health, invading our privacy, destroying nature, and contributing to climate change.
Youth Statement of Demands, created by the campaigners
Supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Global Action Plan worked with a group of young campaigners in schools between 2022-2024 to create a youth-led campaign to end surveillance advertising to kids.
Building on our expertise in delivering programmes in schools and working with young people, as well as our work in challenging over-consumption, we supported young campaigners in schools in Hertfordshire and the West Midlands to develop their campaigning skills and call on UK retailers and MPs to end surveillance advertising to kids.
This campaign aimed to raise awareness of the increasing pressure young people are being put under by advertisers and online platforms to over-consume, and its impact on wellbeing and the environment. This toxic culture causes harm through over-production, creating dangerous air pollution and invading young people’s privacy through surveillance advertising. The young campaigners were inspired to take action and create the Stop Following Me campaign in response.
54
MPs contacted by the young campaigners, securing meetings and an invitation to speak at the Select Committee on Mental Health
22
online retailers contacted with letters from the campaigners
80%
of the young people we worked with gained knowledge on how to campaign (up from 21%) and 60% felt confident doing so (up from 31%)
90
global brands saw the Stop Following Me campaign film at the World Federation of Advertisers online conference
Action statement
Global Action Plan delivered a series of school workshops to schools in the West Midlands and Hertfordshire, empower and support young people to grow their campaigning skills.
The group created their own demands, film, visuals, and letters to MPs and retailers, exposing manipulative algorithms that track and pressure young people into overconsumption.
They contacted 54 MPs, securing meetings and an invitation to speak at the Select Committee on Mental Health.
Agency Nice & Serious worked on the campaign film and brought the young campaigners’ ideas to life.
The young campaigners in the West Midlands met James Morris MP to discuss their campaign and were invited to present to his select committee group on mental health.
Campaigners began a dialogue with brands like Air Up and Ikea, and the campaign film was shown to 90 global brands at the World Federation of Advertisers’ 2024 conference.
We absolutely love the campaign and video.
World Federation of Advertisers
I’d absolutely recommend it. It brings together different students from various background – giving them training in skills NOT offered in schools (e.g. media, campaigning). FABULOUS! Thank you.
Teacher from participating school
With thanks to the support of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for making this project possible
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