Last week, CNN reported Facebook was implementing new rules about Tobacco and Alcohol content on Facebook. The report set off a frenzy and panic across all channels of the cigar community.
While most of this panic is premature, there are new rules – and the CNN report to this author seemed ambiguous. After some investigation, I got information from Facebook in terms of what these restrictions mean and don’t mean.
There are two categories of the new restrictions.
- Complete Ban (i.e. “Do Not Post”) – these are geared more toward private individuals
- Age Restricted Content – these are geared more at legitimate businesses
Complete Ban (“Do Not Post”)
The following is the content that is completely banned on Facebook
Content that attempts to offer, sell, gift, exchange, or transfer alcohol or tobacco products between private individuals. As per Facebook, this includes content that:
- Mentions or depicts alcohol or tobacco, and
- Makes an attempt to sell or trade, by which we mean:
- Explicitly mentions the product is for sale or trade, or
- Asks the audience to buy, or
- Lists price or notes product is free
- And is not posted by a Page representing a real brick-and-mortar store, legitimate website or brand
- Makes an attempt to sell or trade, by which we mean:
Age Restricted Content
The following are things that are age according to Facebook:
For the following content, we restrict visibility to adults eighteen years of age and older:
Content posted by or promoting a brick and mortar store, legitimate website or brand, which coordinates or promotes the sale or transfer of alcohol or tobacco products off of Facebook’s services. This includes content that:
- Mentions or depicts alcohol or tobacco, and
- Explicitly mentions the product is for sale or trade, or
- Asks the audience to buy, or
- Lists the price or notes product is free or
- Encourages contact about the product either by:
- Explicitly asking to be contacted, or
- Including any type of contact information
What Does This Mean?
- It appears brick and mortar stores and cigar companies can continue to promote things on Facebook, but must continue to have age restricted content. Facebook has an age restricted setting.
- Private cigar groups pretty much need to get out of the sales and trading business.
- Legitimate business is still something that is a gray area. After getting some questions answered, I soon realized I am not sure what criteria Facebook will use to ensure someone is brick and mortar or a legitimate business.
- Our advice for a media site is to not get involved with anything related to sales of tobacco products. We’d also highly recommend this content be restricted to 18 and over.
- There are some Facebook groups that have a fine line between a brick and mortar page and a private group. Our advice is either become one or the other, outline specific criteria and for retailers/companies take a more active role on these groups.
- All groups and pages need to monitor comments very closely.
- Changing the name of your group or putting a secret setting will have no use. Facebook uses sophisticated algorithms to identify violations of these standards. Facebook is a company that works on leading edge technologies and its a billion dollar company. Skirting any rules or finding a loop-hole will ultimately fail.
- This doesn’t mean further restrictions aren’t coming down the line, so be aware this could just be the beginning.
face book needs to leave things alone and keep there op. to them self and stop trying to rule the world hitler is dead
Frank, comparing Facebook to Hitler is asinine and moronic. Come up with a more accurate and less offensive comparison next time. Don’t be so extreme in comparisons, because you come across as someone who lacks intellect and historical knowledge.
Coop, thanks for breaking this down. You didn’t mention Instagram, which is theoretically hit with the same thing. Something I’m seeing, and am curious on your thoughts about: Instagram’s community guidelines don’t say quite the same thing Facebook’s community standards do. Here’s what IG has to say about tobacco: “Offering sexual services, buying or selling firearms, alcohol, and tobacco products between private individuals, and buying or selling illegal or prescription drugs (even if legal in your region) are also not allowed.”
I assumed Facebook and Instagram would treat tobacco the same way based on the announcement. It seems weird that they don’t have similar language. Any thoughts about what the difference is?
Their algorithms aren’t that sophisticated as long as people aren’t idiots. Plenty of groups still going strong for firearm BSTL and that crackdown was 2 years ago.
Agreed, but the focus should be on why support a platform that does not support you.
I can’t stand FB…never have nor will. However, one thing that tops that is Joe Customer in my shop taking selfies of himself. Not long ago those dudes were run off.
Found your comment on FB, I I appreciate it. Thanks. 🙂
This is how Facebook falls. Nobody’s blowing cigar smoke up anyone’s ass except Fb administration. Leave well enough alone. They started this shit over 2 years ago and I left for 2 years just to come back to this bullshit. I have a group with 1500 members for cigar enthusiasts, all over the age of 21, acting like responsible adults and these shitheads want to police us. I’m holding my tongue from vulgar language but I’m sure you catch my drift. We’re not hurting anyone, leave us the fuck alone.
Try migrating your group to MeWe or Parler. Don’t support FB, they don’t support you.
People need to leave FB and go to alternative platforms. Stop giving these tech companies power, just leave. The people who stay on FB and YouTube just feed the giant. There are alternatives, but nobody will leave because they are more concerned about losing views than protecting their rights.