> Many countries have a culture that advertising should be truthful and not deceptive
Truthful advertising is an oxymoron, like saying 'peaceful wars'. The only difference in sectors where there is ostensibly more regulation is that the lies are not something concrete like hard figures, but more abstract, like creating the illusion that a product will bring happiness.
It's a spectrum, right. You could make an ad that says "Acetaminophen cures headache symptoms for most people and has minimal side-effects. Don't take a ton of it because then you'll die". That would still increase sales of the drug and I think it's entirely truthful.
Truthful advertising is an oxymoron, like saying 'peaceful wars'. The only difference in sectors where there is ostensibly more regulation is that the lies are not something concrete like hard figures, but more abstract, like creating the illusion that a product will bring happiness.