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Vaping adverts that appeared on TikTok despite breaking the platform’s own rules have been banned by the UK regulator.
The app‘s community guidelines prohibit the promotion of tobacco products, including vapes and e-cigarettes.
But videos marketing Zovoo, Innofly HK, Vapes Bars, and The Disposable Vape Store all appeared in recent months.
In one for the latter, a man stood in front of shelves of e-cigarettes and said “these are new SKE Amare Crystal” and they were “looking really good”.
“Some of the flavours are selling out, so I thought I’d let you guys know,” he added.
The video was one of about 300 posts reported to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), which has forbidden adverts for e-cigarettes containing nicotine that are not licensed as medicines.
The Disposable Vape Store told the ASA it had seen rival shops running TikTok ads and thought it was allowed, but vowed not to do so again.
In Innofly HK’s case, an account posted a video of an influencer rapping about its Waka vapes.
The user claimed they were contacted by a company offering to send her vapes.
Innofly HK told the ASA it was taking “all necessary steps” to ensure its marketing practices stuck to the rules, including not posting ads on TikTok.
Vapes Bars also vowed to ensure it would monitor social media for rule-breaking content relating to its brand and ensure such posts were removed.
The ASA said it had found numerous TikTok videos of influencers giving the company’s devices away.
Zovoo was the only firm not to respond to the ASA’s inquiries.
One post promoting its products praised its “long last flavour” and “smooth puff”.
Sky News has contacted Zovoo for comment.
Read more:
‘Quarter of pupils’ are now vaping
Rishi Sunak on vaping ‘enforcement squads’
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