Tobacco firms using social media for secret advertisement: Probe

Tobacco companies are secretly advertising cigarettes on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, an investigation has found, according to anti-tobacco campaigners.

The firms are paying social media influencers – popular young people with large online followings – to post images of cigarettes and smoking as part of a marketing strategy documented in more than 40 countries, the campaigners claim.

Following a two-year investigation by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Netnografica LLC, a US-based consumer research and consulting firm specialising in online research, the findings were published on Aug 27.

These were also detailed in a petition sent to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by nine leading public health and medical groups, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said in a media release.

The investigation documents more than 100 social media campaigns by multinational tobacco giants Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands, according to the release.

Netnografica conducted interviews with young social media influencers who were paid to promote cigarettes online to millions of followers without disclosing that they were engaged in paid advertising, the Campaign said.

Those interviewed were granted anonymity to participate in the research, it added.