Advert for coronavirus 'destroying' air 'purifier' exterminated by UK watchdog
(2021/06/24)
- Reference: 1624515972
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/06/24/asa_ruling_air_purifier/
- Source link:
The UK’s advertising watchdog has given a socially distanced, liberally hand-sanitised slap to a firm marketing a gizmo it claimed could clear the air of the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
The online ad for the Go-Vi Eradicator 19 claimed to zap both airborne and surface nasties in a split second – which if true, should not be sniffed at. Snag is, someone at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) [1]did .
The regulator took a close mask-wearing look at the manufacturer's claim that it was “proven to destroy Coronavirus cells” and wanted to know more about this “air purification system” that, it was claimed, had been tested by independent laboratories.
[2]Glastonbury hippy shop Hemp in Avalon rapped for spouting 'plandemic' pseudoscience
[3]Foxconn builds stuff for everyone. Now it finds vaccines for Taiwan, and TSMC's chipped in, too
[4]Deluded medics fail to show Ohio lawmakers that COVID vaccines magnetise patients
[5]Ad banned for suggesting London black cabs have properties that prevent the spread of coronavirus
The ASA was not convinced by supporting evidence that the testing had been performed by boffins in France. Faced with so many doubts the ASA decided to question whether the claim that the product could destroy coronavirus cells was "misleading" and whether it "could be substantiated."
Given the opportunity to make its case, Go-Vi Ltd claimed its product “was effective at destroying Covid-19” and that it had been “tested by independent laboratories and was proven to be effective against the H5N1 virus and coronavirus”.
[6]
They supported their claim insisting the tests has been undertaken by a “laboratory in Florida which was accredited by the US Centers for Disease Control, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Agriculture, and Florida’s Department of Health”.
[7]
[8]
Still not content with their defence, the ASA told Go-Vi Ltd not to repeat their ad for the Go-Vi Eradicator 19 again. Or else. And they meant it. The threat seems to have worked. Go-Vi Ltd is "no longer promoting the product" and "their website was no longer live as a result of a change in their business model," said the ASA.
That website's URL? www.protect-nhs.co.uk (now a Shopify placeholder). Ahem.
[9]
The ASA has received an infestation of complaints about Covid-related ads in the last year or so.
The watchdog snarled at this one - [10]a Glastonbury hippy shop Hemp in Avalon rapped for spouting "pandemic'" pseudoscience .
The ASA also took a dim view that taxis were a [11]bubble-friendly way of getting around . ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/go-vi-ltd-a20-1085562-go-vi-ltd.html
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/02/hemp_in_avalon_asa_ruling/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/21/foxconn_and_tsmc_buy_covid_vaccines/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/15/magnetic_medics_ohio_covid_vaccines/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/25/black_cab_covid_ad/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YNRXukCZn1CXGKMeV@xC0gAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YNRXukCZn1CXGKMeV@xC0gAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YNRXukCZn1CXGKMeV@xC0gAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YNRXukCZn1CXGKMeV@xC0gAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/02/hemp_in_avalon_asa_ruling/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/25/black_cab_covid_ad/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The online ad for the Go-Vi Eradicator 19 claimed to zap both airborne and surface nasties in a split second – which if true, should not be sniffed at. Snag is, someone at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) [1]did .
The regulator took a close mask-wearing look at the manufacturer's claim that it was “proven to destroy Coronavirus cells” and wanted to know more about this “air purification system” that, it was claimed, had been tested by independent laboratories.
[2]Glastonbury hippy shop Hemp in Avalon rapped for spouting 'plandemic' pseudoscience
[3]Foxconn builds stuff for everyone. Now it finds vaccines for Taiwan, and TSMC's chipped in, too
[4]Deluded medics fail to show Ohio lawmakers that COVID vaccines magnetise patients
[5]Ad banned for suggesting London black cabs have properties that prevent the spread of coronavirus
The ASA was not convinced by supporting evidence that the testing had been performed by boffins in France. Faced with so many doubts the ASA decided to question whether the claim that the product could destroy coronavirus cells was "misleading" and whether it "could be substantiated."
Given the opportunity to make its case, Go-Vi Ltd claimed its product “was effective at destroying Covid-19” and that it had been “tested by independent laboratories and was proven to be effective against the H5N1 virus and coronavirus”.
[6]
They supported their claim insisting the tests has been undertaken by a “laboratory in Florida which was accredited by the US Centers for Disease Control, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Agriculture, and Florida’s Department of Health”.
[7]
[8]
Still not content with their defence, the ASA told Go-Vi Ltd not to repeat their ad for the Go-Vi Eradicator 19 again. Or else. And they meant it. The threat seems to have worked. Go-Vi Ltd is "no longer promoting the product" and "their website was no longer live as a result of a change in their business model," said the ASA.
That website's URL? www.protect-nhs.co.uk (now a Shopify placeholder). Ahem.
[9]
The ASA has received an infestation of complaints about Covid-related ads in the last year or so.
The watchdog snarled at this one - [10]a Glastonbury hippy shop Hemp in Avalon rapped for spouting "pandemic'" pseudoscience .
The ASA also took a dim view that taxis were a [11]bubble-friendly way of getting around . ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/go-vi-ltd-a20-1085562-go-vi-ltd.html
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/02/hemp_in_avalon_asa_ruling/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/21/foxconn_and_tsmc_buy_covid_vaccines/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/15/magnetic_medics_ohio_covid_vaccines/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/25/black_cab_covid_ad/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YNRXukCZn1CXGKMeV@xC0gAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YNRXukCZn1CXGKMeV@xC0gAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YNRXukCZn1CXGKMeV@xC0gAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YNRXukCZn1CXGKMeV@xC0gAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/02/hemp_in_avalon_asa_ruling/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/25/black_cab_covid_ad/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Facebook
Nick Ryan
No
Re: Facebook
Kane
"Should I be surprised that Facebook still have a page for this scam, with a link to the new website promoting it?"
You, uh, you got a link to that website?
You know, for reasons?
"their website was no longer live as a result of a change in their business model"
Anonymous Coward
^ Brilliant.
Interesting
Pascal Monett
So, first they said the tests had been done in France, then the tests had been done in Florida.
Obviously a simple keyboard mistake. I myself often type Florida instead of France, and I live in France. A common mistake, really, could happen to anyone .
Now what I would like to know is, when the ASA asks for details on an ad, should that not include the results of the tests ? As in, proof that they were made, and here is why we claim what we claim ?
It's all well and good to promise that your kit has been tested, but if you have a shred of honesty, you provide the test results when an official governmental organization comes asking questions. You do so before the ASA needs to request them.
If you're honest, that is.
And if you're not, why is there not a full-blown inquiry including a police raid and prosecution follow-up ?
These shysters stuck their head up too far, it should be cut off sharply.
Facebook
Should I be surprised that Facebook still have a page for this scam, with a link to the new website promoting it?