Tobacco industry's attempts to interfere in COP8 via Twitter

The tobacco industry has made numerous attempts to block the adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its subsequent implementation. On social media, the industry, and Philip Morris International in particular, has created a corporate strategy to influence the FCTC by promoting pro-industry messages around the Conference of the Parties (COP).

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the decision-making body of the FCTC and brings together, among others, all Parties to the Convention and civil society. Its objective is to regularly review the implementation of the Convention and to take decisions to promote its effectiveness, which may involve the adoption of protocols, implementing guidelines, reports and amendments to the Convention.

Researchers from the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) analyzed[1] Twitter data to gain insight into the activity of the tobacco industry and its allies in the run-up to COP8 in October 2018, and their attempts to influence decisions made at the FCTC. After analyzing more than 9,000 tweets and retweets that included the hashtag #COP8FCTC, the researchers found that of the 152 Twitter accounts actively posting about the COP, one-fifth (27 in total) were tobacco industry actors (accounts owned by a tobacco company or its employees, or by an organization that had received direct funding from a tobacco company).

PMI's strategic approach to influencing COP8 debates

Of these 27 tobacco industry Twitter accounts, 13 were directly linked to PMI, two of which were official accounts and 11 were personal accounts of PMI executives. Ten other accounts were identified as belonging to organizations that had received direct funding from Philip Morris, including the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World and the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organizations (INNCO).

The majority of messages expressed positive sentiment toward next-generation products and harm reduction. They called for more flexible policies for these products or expressed criticism of individuals or organizations perceived to oppose these products. The instrumentalization of the notion of “harm reduction” is the industry’s tactical response to continue to promote its products. PMI’s subversive and covert influence is part of the company’s current strategy to develop its new heated tobacco product. A internal company document clearly underlines this by advocating that " Making PMI a trusted and indispensable partner, a leader in its sector and providing solutions » and « Amplify and leverage the risk reduction debate at international meetings such as the COPs. The bulk of PMI's current communication is structured around this objective of making the company appear as a legitimate public health player, concerned with offering a solution to the health burden of smoking that its activities cause.