The French courts have ordered Meta (Facebook, Instagram) to remove around twenty posts promoting alcohol, the Addictions France association announced on Tuesday, having already obtained a first legal victory in this regard.
"The judge not only ordered their removal, but also ordered Meta to provide Addictions France with the identification data of the authors of this content," the association said in a statement.
The decision, issued by the Paris judicial court and transmitted by the association, dates back to the beginning of April, but Addictions France only communicated about it this Tuesday.
In detail, the court decision lists the publications involved, notably those made on Instagram, which come from 13 influencers including chef Juan Arbelaez and presenter Malika Ménard.
For example, a publication showing "a photograph of Mr. Arbelaez holding a bottle of wine in his hand in the company of (the comedian) François-Xavier Demaison," the decision notes.
The affected posts are no longer visible from France, with Instagram explaining that the platform is complying with "a legal request asking us to restrict this content."
In France, alcohol advertising is strictly regulated, limited to informative content, and prohibits any association with celebration, conviviality, or humor.
Addictions France believes that images posted by influencers depicting themselves with clearly visible bottles or logos are a way of circumventing the law.
She had already won a legal victory at the end of 2023: the courts had ordered Meta to delete several publications and to provide the names and surnames of the account holders, as well as their email addresses.
The new decision notably removes an "ambiguity" promoted by alcohol producers, according to Addictions France.
"Contrary to what the latter claim in their 'self-regulation' guides, posts by 'chefs' (...) explicitly promoting brands of alcohol in recipes or to accompany the tasting, have been condemned by the judge," the organization emphasizes.
Following the previous decision, Meta deleted the offending publications without further comment.
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