The Netherlands’ advertising standards watchdog, the Reclame Code Commissie (RCC), found that a Philip Morris campaign encouraging public input into the EU’s tobacco-rules review fell within the scope of the country’s tobacco advertising ban. The campaign invited people to submit comments to the European Commission opposing tighter EU rules on tobacco and nicotine products. An investigation by NOS and Pointer reported that Philip Morris used an AI tool to generate hundreds of responses presented as individual citizens’ views.
The RCC said the campaign had a commercial character because the AI text generator was developed and paid for by Philip Morris, and that the generated responses portrayed alternative tobacco products positively. The watchdog concluded that presenting the activity as public consultation did not remove it from the scope of the advertising ban. Doctors and health organizations had filed a complaint over the campaign in June, while Philip Morris said it was contributing to the public debate.
