Last week, Twitter updated its advertising policies to allow advertising that references the COVID-19 pandemic.  Twitter said that it would allow certain types of coronavirus-related advertising, in response to "the shifting advertising landscape, and in order to support helpful causes during this time."  The policy change does not impact Twitter's rules on the advertising of face masks and alcohol hand sanitizers, which is not allowed.   

Specifically, Twitter said that it would allow two types of advertising that references COVID-19:

• Adjustments to business practices and/or models in response to COVID-19; and
• Support for customers and employees related to COVID-19.

Twitter said, however, that advertising that references COVID-19 must not include content that has distasteful references to COVID-19, is sensational or likely to incite panic, includes inflated prices, or promotes prohibited products.  Twitter also said that only news publishers, who have been exempted under Twitter's Political Ads Content  policy, may mention vaccines, treatments, and test kits. 

We recently reported that Google also changed its rules regarding the acceptance of coronavirus-related ads.