Facebook based Competitions

Facebook is a valuable platform allowing companies to get into immediate contact with customers.

Facebook based prize contests help to increase the number of registered users and followers on the official page of the promoting company. Additionally, they strengthen the link between the company and registered users through direct communication in real time.

The promoting company also gains the opportunity to collect detailed data regarding its users in detail, benefitting directly from the viral communication of its digital content and engagement of its target audience.

However, when a company decides to use Facebook as the main channel to promote a competition, it is important to carefully consider the general policy on the conditions for the use of the platform and the directives of the Ministry of Economic Development to avoid incurring administrative sanctions or legal disputes directly with Facebook.

In particular for Facebook prize contests, it is good to know that:

• There is no need to associate with Facebook if there are multiple channels of participation;
• If Facebook is the only channel of participation, the direct association with Facebook is still not required as long as the competition is restricted to users who are already Facebook users at the starting date of the competition;
• Servers outside Italy cannot be used to save any data relating to the competition – this means that mechanical voting systems that exploit the native functions of Facebook are prohibited (e.g. popular voting system through number of ‘likes’);
• Companies must comply with Facebook’s own promotional guidelines.

Finally, it is always advisable to check the latest FAQs issued by the MISE, in which detailed rules for the promoter are set out.

Keep up-to-date on the legislation in our Rules & Laws section!