Justices, FTC Study Commercial Speech

There were strong signs last week of just how far the federal government might go in curbing commercial speech to protect children.

The Federal Trade Commission released a second report on media violence, saying the entertainment industry must do more to control the content of its marketing to children. In response, Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., introduced a bill that would allow the FTC to charge entertainment companies with deceptive ad practices and issue fines if they advertise adult-rated content in media targeted at minors.

Separately, the Supreme Court has the chance to write new rules for protecting commercial speech after hearing arguments on whether Massachusetts can restrict tobacco ads from venues where kids might see them.

“The issue of the hour is, what are the rules for the protection of kids in the advertising area?” said Dan Jaffe, evp of the Association of National Advertisers.