Five separate ads for the Chinese shopping app Temu have been banned in the UK due to their sexual nature.
One of the ads was found to be inappropriate in how it depicted young girls in an attempt to sell bikinis.
The company has been warned against portraying adults as “stereotypical sexual objects” or presenting under-18s in a sexualised way in any future advertising after young girls were shown wearing tight and revealing clothing.
The UK’s advertising watchdog reprimanded the fast-growing tech business after one of its ads used a model who appeared to be aged between eight and 11 posed with her hand on her hip. The image was investigated and was found to be “quite adult for a girl of her age”. The ad was also placed near other items like a jock strap and balloon ties that, although they were not sexual, without labelling, suggested a sexual nature.
The Advertising Standards Authority investigated the ads and found that they would likely cause widespread offence as they appeared in media where adult-themed or sexual products would likely not be anticipated.
“We told [Temu] to ensure that future ads were prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and society and that they did not cause serious or widespread offence by presenting products in a sexual way in general media or by presenting individuals as stereotypical sexual objects,” ASA said.
“In addition, persons who were or appeared to be under 18 years of age in ads must not be portrayed in a sexual way, and ads must be responsibly targeted”.
Temu said the images of adult models without a face were not intended to sexually objectify the women but to give “a clear representation of how the clothing was worn”. They also denied that the placements of ads near other products were not selected by Temu but rather by Google ads.
Temu has made waves internationally since its launch in 2022. The marketplace app offers discounts on products and gadgets, mostly shipped directly from Chinese factories or warehouses. In addition to incredibly low prices, Temu provides gifts to users who promote the app on their social networks and get friends and family to sign up. But the app has been shrouded in controversy, with many calling it a scam and others reporting their bank details being sold online after using it. These complaints have been investigated, but no evidence has been found.
