The comments have been made by Ed Mayo chief executive of , the consumer watchdog set up by the government in October last year following the merger of Postwatch, Energywatch and the .
Mayo has attacked the activities of brands such as Mattel, Ninendo and Coca-Cola for their use of specialist youth market research consultancies.
These companies operate by offering children cash or incentives in return for feedback and research on products. Many of them, such as marketing consultancy have agreements in place with schools.
Speaking ahead of the launch of Consumer Kids, a book that criticises children's marketing, Mayo described the use of youngsters as "insidious and downright creepy".
One of the most controversial techniques has been the recruiting of kids as brand ambassadors. They are paid to test products among their friends and give feedback.
In response to the claims, Dubit denied any wrongdoing and made it clear that it requires parental consent for any work it undertakes with children under 16.