Center for Consumer Freedom

We were left speechless upon learning this week that Facebook is lactose-intolerant. The popular social media website has an official policy banning the promotion of dairy products. We’re not making this up. The Facebook Promotions Guidelines state that promotions are banned if the “objective is to promote any of the following product categories: gambling, tobacco, dairy, firearms, prescription drugs, or gasoline.” An additional policy prohibits Facebook users from awarding promotional prizes that include dairy products.

We’ve left several phone messages with Facebook, and sent several e-mails, in an effort to get an explanation. So far, no one has responded. Today we’re asking those questions more publicly. As we’re telling the media:

It’s dumbfounding, and just plain dumb. Why would anyone lump milk with cigarettes and prescription painkillers? Does Facebook believe cottage cheese and yogurt should be controlled substances?

Ice cream isn’t combustible, flammable, or addictive, and it doesn’t shoot projectiles. This sends the wrong kind of message, especially to Facebook’s enormous youth market. Facebook should explain itself—or better yet, cancel this cheesy ban entirely.

We’ll be happy to circulate Facebook’s reply when—and if—they give us one.

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