The ruling came after a complaint was lodged in relation to the official Smirnoff Vodka Facebook page. The complaint raised concerns of apparently ‘fan’-generated obscenity, sexism, racism, and depictions of irresponsible drinking, and argued that Diageo, Smirnoff’s parent company, had an obligation to control the activity of its fans on the Smirnoff Facebook page.
The Advertising Standards Board decided that the page was not in breach of the Advertiser Code of Ethics. The Board nevertheless said that the webpage was subject to it.
The ruling means it now becomes a requirement for companies to ensure contributors to their social media pages post no sexist, racist or factually inaccurate statements.
