Virgin Media Removes Harmful Ad After Epilepsy Advocates Speak Out
Last week, Twitter removed hazardous ads after a charity in the U.K. pointed out how they could trigger seizures. On Monday, Virgin Media faced the same accusation after the company posted a flashing video on Twitter for its #AllTheFootball campaign.
Intense strobe lights, certain visual patterns and continuing rapid flashes of different colors are just a few examples of what can trigger a seizure for people with photosensitive epilepsy, according to The Epilepsy Foundation. People on Twitter were quick to alert Virgin Media to this, urging the company to take the ad down.
Other relevant stories:
• What to Do When Someone Has a Seizure
• Can a Woman with Epilepsy Have a Baby
• Medications for Epilepsy
Just got a promoted rapid-flashing ad from @virginmedia in my TL. Again, this is bad for epileptic ppl. Can we get @twitter to do something?
— Elainovision Tribute Act (@scattermoon) July 13, 2015
RT @virginmedia Stop this ad campaign at once. Ever considered people with epilepsy?
— Matt Poulton (@MyID_Research) July 13, 2015
Epilepsy Action, the same charity that called out Twitter’s ads, actually tested the Virgin Media ad online to confirm it could cause harm to people with photosensitive epilepsy.
.@ASA_UK We’ve tested @virginmedia‘s #AllTheFootball twitter ad online, and it can cause harm to people with photosensitive epilepsy
— Epilepsy Action (@epilepsyaction) July 13, 2015
Soon after, Virgin Media responded to Epilepsy Action and removed the ad.
@epilepsyaction Thanks for flagging this, sorry about the video. We’ve taken the decision to remove the ad. Thanks again. ^MK
— Virgin Media (@virginmedia) July 13, 2015
Margaret is excited to join The Mighty team for the summer as an editorial intern. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. A California native, Margaret loves going to the beach. She studied abroad in London for the spring semester and has caught the travel bug. In her free time, Margaret enjoys working out, baking and spending time with her family.
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