Party wants video platform to face same scrutiny as broadcasters due to deepfake and investment scams
The Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent regulation of YouTube advertising after scams including deepfakes, impersonated public figures and fraudulent investment claims were found to be spreading on the platform with little oversight.
The party said YouTube’s adverts remain largely unchecked by independent regulators, despite new data from Ofcom showing the platform has overtaken ITV in weekly UK viewership and continues to dominate children’s media consumption.
Among the recent scams onYouTube was a series of ads using an AI-generated voice and likeness of the consumer champion Martin Lewis to promote a cryptocurrency scheme, despite Lewis having no involvement. The videos, which have drawn thousands of complaints on Reddit and X, mislead users into thinking they are receiving financial advice from a trusted source.
Other viewers have reported false product claims, scam diet pills and fake competitions. In one Reddit thread users reported being targeted with ads impersonating UK media figures or pretending to offer government-backed grants, with little clarity over how to report or block such content.
