The French judiciary obliged the Instagram network of the Meta group to remove the content of influencers who illegally promote alcoholic beverages, following a lawsuit filed by a local association active in the field of addiction.
The ruling, seen by Agence France-Presse, includes 37 publications by about twenty different influencers, whose cumulative number of followers reaches five million subscribers, reports Al-Rai daily.
It was found that the targeted content is no longer available at the electronic addresses referred to in the court’s decision.
Meta, for its part, said it had implemented the court’s decision, but confirmed that it was “not final” and is the subject of appeal.
Addiction France, which was behind the aforementioned lawsuit, welcomed the court ruling in a statement, describing it as “a historic victory against the patronage of alcohol on the Internet.”
The association indicated that it had been “contacting influencers who highlight alcohol brands for 18 months,” to push them to withdraw problematic content under local legislation known as Evan’s Law, which since 1991 has regulated alcohol advertisements very strictly.
“While some influencers respond to this approach, others don’t or simply refuse to acknowledge the illegality of their posts,” the association said.
The ruling also requires “Meta” to provide the association with the true identities of the influencers concerned (name, nickname, date of birth, place, and phone numbers in particular).
The ruling states in particular that such advertisements must be limited to informational content, without associating alcoholic beverages in any way with an atmosphere of celebration, joy or humor.