Investigating social media use of tobacco companies

Background

Australia has signed and ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and is bound by the terms of the treaty, meaning that the Government has an obligation to enforce a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, which includes banning tobacco companies from contributions to socially responsible causes. However, as it stands, social media is poorly regulated.

The research

The study analysed every tweet published by the Twitter accounts of transnational tobacco companies British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Phillip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International, up until May 2017.The results showed that tobacco companies most commonly tweeted to oppose policy, to promote corporate social responsibility (i.e. highlight the supposed positive impact that they are having on society and the environment) and to position themselves as favourable workplaces.

30% of all tweets opposed tobacco control policies, demonstrating efforts by tobacco companies to resist the extensive work that is being done to protect the community from tobacco smoking.

By continuing to promote themselves as ‘good corporate citizens’ through their corporate social responsibility initiatives, the tobacco industry’s interests and products are promoted.

The researchers concluded that the industry’s social media activity is in violation of the WHO Framework, recommending that Australia implement a total ban on online tobacco promotion.