Social media scrutinized

The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is investigating British American Tobacco’s (BAT) use of social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to promote its Vype e-cigarettes. The investigation follows complaints by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH U.K.) and Stopping Tobacco Organizations & Products (STOP).

According to the complaints, BAT’s social media posts are designed to reach the widest possible audience by using popular hashtags like #throwbackthursday or #style and features celebrities and social media influencers using Vype.

U.K. regulations prohibit online advertising of e-cigarettes, but allow a manufacturer to provide factual product information such as the name, content and price of the product on its own websites. The ASA advises that e-cigarette manufacturers’ social media accounts may also provide factual content as long as the content can only be found by “those actively seeking it.”