Instagram is banning influencers from getting paid to hawk vape products and guns as part of a crackdown on promotional posts.
The Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform said it will no longer allow branded content promoting vaping, tobacco products or weapons. The move marks the first time Instagram has restricted the types of items that can be promoted in such paid posts, according to CNBC.
“Our advertising policies have long prohibited the advertisement of these products, and we will begin enforcement on this in the coming weeks,” Instagram said in a Wednesday announcement.
Instagram’s move comes amid a Federal Trade Commission review of vape companies’ promotional tactics.
Some influencers have earned thousands of dollars promoting the cigarette substitutes even though a vaping-related lung illness has stricken more than 2,400 people. And a congressional report found e-cigarette giant Juul Labs recruited online influencers to market to young people.
Facebook’s policies already barred regular advertisements for vape products. But the rules were less clear for branded content, posts from private users that companies pay for. Such posts on Instagram are labeled as a “paid partnership” when the company behind them is tagged.
Instagram also said it would put “special restrictions” on branded content promoting alcohol or diet supplements starting next year. The company said it is “building specific tools to help creators comply with these new policies, including the ability to restrict who can see their content, based on age.”


