TikTok and Meta are facing scrutiny in Australia after the Brisbane Times reported that their platforms carried paid advertisements promoting illegal cigarettes and vapes, including products allegedly supplied through criminal networks. The report said Meta’s advertising library showed 460 unique ads for Chinese vape brand Alibarbar, with at least 93 active when the newspaper contacted the company, while ads for cigarette brands including Manchester and Double Happiness also appeared on TikTok and Meta platforms. Both companies said they took action against accounts and ads identified by the newspaper.
Meta said tobacco and vape ads violate its policies and that it had removed the reported ads and accounts, while TikTok said the identified accounts had been permanently banned. The report also cited estimates that 95% to 98% of Australian vape sales are illegal and Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing illicit cigarettes and vapes accounted for 80% of the market in 2025, up from 12% in 2017.
