Author and scientist Robert Winston has warned that social media advertisers are using his image to sell what he calls 'completely dangerous remedies' for erectile dysfunction and prostate issues. The TV doctor, known for programmes such as Child of Our Time and The Human Body, said he has been 'plagued by complaints' from members of the public who have seen the adverts online.
Lord Winston's Concerns
Speaking in the House of Lords, the Labour peer and IVF pioneer said: 'For about three months now, I’ve been plagued by complaints from members of the public who have seen videos and digital images of myself promoting certain medicines on Instagram and Facebook. These medicines generally refer to erectile dysfunction and other issues with the prostate.' He added: 'I wonder what we can do about this kind of advertising because people have been paying money for these completely dangerous remedies.'
Government Response
Technology minister Baroness Lloyd of Effra responded, stating that fraud is illegal and a 'priority offence' under the Online Safety Act. She said platforms are required to act where services are used for scams or misleading advertisements. 'It is Ofcom’s hands to ensure there is compliance with the Act and the duties under that Act. And we have made it very clear to Ofcom that we support it taking that kind of enforcement action,' she noted.
Meta's Actions
According to Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook, the firm removed more than 159 million scam adverts last year. It detected 92% of scam adverts before anyone reported them, and 10.9 million accounts linked to scam operations were removed.
Ofcom's Stance
An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'Online fraud is getting increasingly sophisticated and combating it is a priority for Ofcom. We are working at speed to develop new rules for paid-for fraudulent ads on the most widely used social media and search services, which we’ll consult on in July. And platforms must already have measures in place for tackling user-generated fraud.'
