U.S. E-Cigarette Brand Juul Forced to Shut Down Facebook and Instagram Accounts
To restrict underage purchases, U.S. vaping giant Juul recently responded to concerns raised by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb by announcing several measures to limit minors’ access to e-cigarettes, including shutting down its social media accounts. Juul
To limit minors' access to e-cigarettes, U.S. e-cigarette giant Juul has responded to concerns expressed by FDA Director Scott Gottlieb by implementing several measures to restrict underage purchases, including shutting down its social media accounts.
Juul announced that it will close its Facebook and Instagram accounts in the U.S., while using its Twitter account solely for non-promotional communications. Additionally, Juul's YouTube account has been restricted to prohibit users under 21 from viewing it, and the account will be used for promoting to adult smokers. The company also stated that the Juul brand has never appeared on Snapchat.
Juul also committed to monitoring and removing inappropriate content from third-party accounts and has sought assistance from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.
Juul CEO Kevin Burns pointed out that "over 99% of social media content related to Juul Labs is generated by third-party users and accounts that have no affiliation with our company."
He added, "We ask every platform to prohibit any content that entices underage users to use cigarettes or e-cigarettes. Addressing the negative impact of social media on minors is a larger issue than simply deleting Juul Labs' social media accounts, and it can only be resolved with the help of these social media platforms. Tackling the issue of underage e-cigarette use requires our joint efforts, and we are eager to work with these platforms to address these issues."
Juul Labs also revealed that it will no longer accept orders from over 90,000 retail stores that sell flavored e-cigarettes, including mango, fruit, cream, and cucumber flavors, claiming that these stores are sensitive to the issue of "flavors playing a significant role in the prevalence of e-cigarette use among teenagers," which may pose a significant temptation to youth.
These flavored e-cigarettes are now only available for purchase through Juul's official website. The Juul website requires customers to provide their name, date of birth, permanent address, and the last four digits of their social security number, which will be verified against third-party records to ensure that customers are at least 21 years old.
Flavored e-cigarettes are now only available for purchase through Juul's official website.
Additionally, online customers will face purchase limits, with a maximum of two devices and 15 pods per month, and a limit of 10 devices per year to prevent people from reselling products to minors. Juul stated that it will implement additional protective measures by the end of the year, such as dual verification via phone numbers and requiring real-time photo uploads.
Additionally, Burns stated that the company will increase oversight of individual retailers, raising the number of undercover shopper visits from 500 to about 2,000 per month to check local retailers for illegal sales and ensure compliance with its standards, while continuing to take action against platforms that violate its terms of service and sell its products.
Since 2018, Juul has removed over 23,000 third-party listings from e-commerce platforms such as eBay, Alibaba, Amazon, and DHgate.
Burns stated, "Our goal is to never allow minors to use Juul products. However, the current results are not ideal: data shows that underage use of e-cigarette products remains a problem that we must address!"
Juul announced that it will close its Facebook and Instagram accounts in the U.S., while using its Twitter account solely for non-promotional communications. Additionally, Juul's YouTube account has been restricted to prohibit users under 21 from viewing it, and the account will be used for promoting to adult smokers. The company also stated that the Juul brand has never appeared on Snapchat.
Juul also committed to monitoring and removing inappropriate content from third-party accounts and has sought assistance from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.
Juul CEO Kevin Burns pointed out that "over 99% of social media content related to Juul Labs is generated by third-party users and accounts that have no affiliation with our company."He added, "We ask every platform to prohibit any content that entices underage users to use cigarettes or e-cigarettes. Addressing the negative impact of social media on minors is a larger issue than simply deleting Juul Labs' social media accounts, and it can only be resolved with the help of these social media platforms. Tackling the issue of underage e-cigarette use requires our joint efforts, and we are eager to work with these platforms to address these issues."
Juul Labs also revealed that it will no longer accept orders from over 90,000 retail stores that sell flavored e-cigarettes, including mango, fruit, cream, and cucumber flavors, claiming that these stores are sensitive to the issue of "flavors playing a significant role in the prevalence of e-cigarette use among teenagers," which may pose a significant temptation to youth.
These flavored e-cigarettes are now only available for purchase through Juul's official website. The Juul website requires customers to provide their name, date of birth, permanent address, and the last four digits of their social security number, which will be verified against third-party records to ensure that customers are at least 21 years old.
Flavored e-cigarettes are now only available for purchase through Juul's official website.
Additionally, online customers will face purchase limits, with a maximum of two devices and 15 pods per month, and a limit of 10 devices per year to prevent people from reselling products to minors. Juul stated that it will implement additional protective measures by the end of the year, such as dual verification via phone numbers and requiring real-time photo uploads.
Additionally, Burns stated that the company will increase oversight of individual retailers, raising the number of undercover shopper visits from 500 to about 2,000 per month to check local retailers for illegal sales and ensure compliance with its standards, while continuing to take action against platforms that violate its terms of service and sell its products.Since 2018, Juul has removed over 23,000 third-party listings from e-commerce platforms such as eBay, Alibaba, Amazon, and DHgate.
Burns stated, "Our goal is to never allow minors to use Juul products. However, the current results are not ideal: data shows that underage use of e-cigarette products remains a problem that we must address!"
