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• Facebook issued legal notice for violating Indian tobacco control laws 

Failure of the social networking website "Facebook" to remove pages and groups relating to various tobacco products, brands and articles is now likely to land the company in legal trouble.

Well-known social activist and crusader for public health causes, Hemant Goswami, has issued a legal notice to Facebook to remove all pages and groups relating to promotion of any kind of tobacco product or which promotes its consumption. Hemant who is also a notified member of the "National Steering Committee on Tobacco Control" formed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, "Apparently Facebook claims to have a policy of not advertising tobacco products through paid advertisement on its website; however this claim remains ineffective as it allows all brands and tobacco products to be promoted through member pages and groups. Not only this; contrary to the claims, Facebook allows promotion of smoking culture through advertisements. We have sent a copy of links of such examples which are considered an offence under the Indian law to M/s Facebook."

In the notice, served to Facebook Inc. and Facebook Ireland Limited, faxed to its California office (+1- 6505434801), Hemant has alleged that, "many pages on www.facebook.com promote various cigarette brands and the concept of smoking. All such pages are visible on all computers, and all terminals installed in India through which the site Facebook.com is accessed. Such pages are also advertised through Facebook and are displayed on the pages of facebook users." The notice warns the owners and managers of Facebook of their legal liabilities and reads, "The advertisers M/s Facebook and owners of the company are also equally liable and responsible for any such advertisements."

The Indian law on tobacco control, "Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003" provides for imprisonment up to five years for violating the provisions relating to prohibition of promotion or advertisement of tobacco products and brands.

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