YouTube pranksters expose how social media giants are allowing adverts for vapes, knives, alcohol and gambling to children

YouTube pranksters claim to have exposed how social media giants are allowing adverts for vapes, knives, alcohol and gambling to children.

In their latest stunt, popular duo Josh and Archie, who have 1.5million followers, filmed fake ads and paid to post them on Instagram, TikTok and X.

Despite a ban on the products being advertised to teens, all – including one by a fake firm called 'Stabby Stabby Choppy Choppy Kitchen Knives' – passed at least one of the platforms' review processes and went live.

Advertising data showed the YouTube duo were able to reach tens of thousands of teenagers, with many clicking through to websites to try and buy the over-18 products.

Social media platforms make nearly £9billion a year from advertising directed at children and teenagers, according to a Harvard University study last year.

In their latest stunt, popular duo Josh and Archie, who have 1.5million followers, filmed fake ads and paid to post them on Instagram , TikTok and X

Co-host Archie Manners said their latest experiment was aimed at finding out 'how much effort platforms really make' in stopping young people from being shown unhealthy adverts - 'It turns out not very much at all'.

The YouTubers – who host the Mail's podcast 'Straight to the Comments!' – set up five companies with provocative titles, such as vape firm 'HELF BARS', another for bongs called 'Flower pots for weed(s)', and one for alcohol called 'Grape Juice'.

They then filmed adverts for each, where they showed off the products in the style of children's television show presenters but with provocative tag lines such as 'the healthy alternative to anti-depressants'.

After this, they then attempted to upload each on to Instagram, TikTok, and X, with the viewing age set to 13-years-old and over, to see how many under-18s would be recommended the content.

Advertising data showed the YouTube duo were able to reach tens of thousands of teenagers, with many clicking through to websites to try and buy the over-18 products

All five went up immediately on X, according to the YouTubers, while Instagram allowed them all on the platform but after a longer review process.

On TikTok, where all the products are banned, four of the ads were rejected. 

However one of the adverts - Helf Bars, a fake vape company - passed the review checks. 

The ad cost £24 and received 12.2k views before the YouTubers said they took it down two days later.

Combined, the adverts – which cost just £319 - were seen over 100,000 times – and 85 per cent of these were aged between 13 and 17.

On the video, co-host Josh Pieters says: 'So it looks like social media companies really are more concerned with their revenue than spending money on, say, actually vetting their adverts – surprise, surprise.'

The adverts linked through to real websites, but they did not have live shops so no one could actually buy the products.

The adverts linked through to real websites, but they did not have live shops so no one could actually buy the products

Instagram says it bans all the products that were advertised by the YouTubers. 

It uses an algorithm – and sometimes humans - to review and monitor adverts when they go up on the platform.

Advertisers are meant to be restricted if they don't comply, however it admits: 'Our review process may not detect all policy violations, and ads remain subject to review and re-review and may be rejected for violating our policies at any time.'

TikTok said the video 'deliberately misrepresents the facts' and that its ad policies had been 'enforced correctly'.

The tech giant said it does not allow misinformation that could 'significantly harm' users or society and products that are 'controversial, distasteful, violent, or dangerous', including weapons.

All adverts pass through 'multiple levels of review' before being approved, though it openly admits it 'won't catch every instance of violative content'.

X was contacted for comment.