While the French authorities are currently trying to combat the excesses of influencers, the promotion of alcohol on Instagram is particularly targeted.
This is far from the only influencer breach of advertising rules in France. But in France, since the Evin law, we do not joke with the promotion of alcohol. And if content creators do not all seem to have understood, Instagram was however called to order following a complaint filed by the association Addictions France.
The promotion of alcohol is not prohibited, but very supervised
As its name suggests, the Addictions France association’s mission is prevention, risk reduction, and care for people suffering from addiction. For 18 months, a large part of its action has been directed towards influencers promoting alcoholic beverages. The association initially had an information approach, during which it was content to contact influencers who made such partnerships to raise awareness about the illegality of such practices in France, since the famous Evin law of 1991.
In a press release, its spokespersons explain that “While some influencers are sensitive to the approach, others do not respond or simply refuse to recognize the illegality of their publications”. In the latter case, out of patience, the association took more drastic measures.
37 targeted publications
After a legal battle, a judgment ruled in favor of Addictions France: at least 37 publications, from around twenty influencers representing a total of more than 5 million subscribers, were deleted on Tuesday.
But neither Addictions France nor the authorities forced the influencers to do it (it may come soon): it was directly Meta who was forced to do it. Reluctantly, Instagram’s parent company simply announced that it had respected a court decision that was not final and could be appealed. We have seen more motivation.
In any case, it is a sign that the government and French justice are putting their money where their mouth is, and are finally looking seriously at the abuses of influencers, but also at the laxity of the content platforms that host them.
Source : The world, Addiction France
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