Misleading ads: SC says public figures must act with responsibility while endorsing products

New Delhi: It is imperative for celebrities and public figures to act responsibly while endorsing a consumer product, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday as it clamped down on misleading advertisements.

The apex court directed that before an advertisement is permitted to be issued, a self-declaration be obtained from advertisers on the line of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994.

Rule 7 of the 1994 law stipulates an advertisement code that says advertisements carried should be designed to be conformity with the laws of the country.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also directed the Union ministries concerned to apprise it of misleading advertisements and the action taken or proposed to be taken against them by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).

“Endorsements by celebrities, influencers and public figures go a long way in promoting products and it is imperative for them to act with responsibility while endorsing any product in the course of advertisement and taking responsibility for the same,” the bench observed.

The apex court was hearing the case related to misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.

It is hearing a plea filed in 2022 by the Indian Medical Association alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali and yoga guru Ramdev against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.

The bench has been critical of misleading advertisements about Patanjali products that have now been prohibited being still available on various internet channels.