The probe comes amid claims that companies are pushing their products inteenage internet chatrooms, complete with spelling mistakes and sign-offkisses.
"There is no more than second-hand evidence that this type of activityis occurring in chatrooms but we will be writing to top advertisingcompanies to ask them directly if they are involved in promotingproducts to children in this way," said a spokesman for the NationalConsumer Council.
John Carr, new technology adviser at NCH, said it was easy to fakeidentities and email addresses to pose as a teenager posting chatroomcomments.
"The theory is that word of mouth and its electronic equivalent can bean effective way to market a product," he added.
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