DSSRC Administrative Closure #32

Social media posts disseminated by distributors for a multi-level company came to the attention of the Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) pursuant to its internal monitoring process. More specifically, one Instagram post referenced Company’s products offering “protection” against the corona virus and used a corona virus hashtag. Similarly, a second Instagram post used a coronavirus hashtag that accompanied claims implying that the Company’s product was the best defense for COVID-19. As DSSRC has stated in previous inquiries pertaining to corona virus product performance claims,  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the Food Drug Administration have all stated that there are no approved vaccines, drugs or investigational products currently available to treat or prevent COVID-19. 

The Company immediately contacted DSSRC after its receipt of the inquiry and informed DSSRC that the two posts were disseminated by its distributors in Latin America. The Company took immediate actions to have the first Instagram post significantly modified by eliminating any reference to any health-related conditions. The second Instagram post was removed in its entirety. Accordingly, DSSRC independently confirmed the voluntary actions taken by the Company.

Based upon the immediate actions taken by the Company to remove the one post and significantly modify the other, DSSRC administratively closed this inquiry.

(closed on 5/26/20)