AiMCO sets child-influencer standards amid social media scrutiny

With Australia’s social media sector bracing for a regulatory reckoning, the Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) has moved to address another sensitive area: the use of children in influencer campaigns.

AiMCO has unveiled its Engaging Child and Family Influencers Industry Information Sheet - a first-of-its-kind resource designed to help brands, agencies and creators navigate the complex legal and ethical considerations of working with children in influencer marketing.

The guidelines establish best-practice standards for a fast-growing content category that now accounts for one in five creators in Australia. Developed by AiMCO’s Best Practice Child and Family Influencer Working Group, the framework aligns influencer activity with the same workplace protections that apply to children in film, television and advertising. It comes as the federal government and several states prepare online safety laws that could restrict or even ban minors from social media platforms.

While children working in entertainment are already protected by law, there remains little oversight for child participation in social media, said AiMCO managing director Patrick Whitnall.

“Awareness and education are required for our members to review how these could be applied to influencer marketing, which is something we felt was critically important to address,” Whitnall said.

He added that the guidelines aim to bring oversight and accountability to a sector that often operates out of sight - in private homes, managed by parents or guardians, and with limited brand visibility over the content creation process.

“Influencer marketing often takes place within a child’s home, where the parent or guardian is the sole workplace supervisor,” he said. “Brands and agencies may have little to no direct oversight. This information sheet sets out what we consider best practice to ensure awareness of the legislation that currently only applies to photography, film and TV.”

Courtney Barlow, marketing communications and content manager at Ego Pharmaceuticals and a member of the working group, said the resource will help brands evolve responsibly as the child-and-family sector expands.

“We’ll be adapting our processes when engaging family influencers. This sector is not only new, it’s rapidly growing, and it’s important as brand marketers that we adopt best practice and comply with responsible marketing activity,” Barlow said.

The launch comes as Australia’s influencer marketing industry nears the $1 billion mark, giving AiMCO an early foothold on self-regulation - a move mirroring how alcohol and therapeutic goods sectors manage compliance.

The release coincides with the federal government’s drafting of legislation on under-16 social media use. Expected in mid-December, the laws could require platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to verify users’ ages, restrict underage access and tighten parental controls, creating broad implications for brands, agencies and creators.