TikTok and Instagram Are in Trouble Again After Brazil's Takedown Order
Brazil gave TikTok and Instagram just 48 hours to remove thousands of illegal e-cigarette ads on their platform or face penalties.
Brazil just gave TikTok and Instagram 48 hours to pull illegal e-cigarette ads—or face the heat. What happens if they don’t? Fines, blocks, and serious regulatory fallout. If your business touches digital ads or content, or you manage social media accounts for businesses runnings ads in Brazil, you will want to read this.
Brazil's National Consumer Secretariat (part of the Ministry of Justice) gave TikTok and Instagram just 48 hours to take down from their platforms content promoting illegal electronic cigarettes and related accessories. Yes, you read that right, 48 hours! 🚀
This wasn’t just a quiet memo behind closed doors. The directive came through the National Council for Combating Piracy and Crimes Against Intellectual Property (CNCP).
If you are not familiar with them, they’re the enforcement watchdog keeping an eye on illegal commercial practices, especially anything that slips through the digital cracks.
And this time, the spotlight is firmly on TikTok and Instagram.
What Did Brazil Say Exactly?
Both TikTok and Instagram were officially ordered to take down any content advertising electronic cigarettes. These products are banned under Brazil’s current health regulations, and the government isn’t taking any chances.
Electronic cigarettes have been illegal to sell or advertise in Brazil since 2009 under Resolution RDC No. 46 of the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA). But that hasn't stopped them from being glamorised on social media by influencers, sellers, and sometimes even bots. Now the government is stepping in.
The CNCP isn't only removing content. They’re also asking platforms to improve their internal monitoring to prevent this from happening again, and soon.