Asked to use personal social media to promote work

[Sockypuppet]

I'm not an owner or partner of my business. Just an employee. People in my life know where I work.

Boss/owner regularly asks us to use our personal WhatsApp and Facebook accounts to promote his business.

Loads of us are just quietly... not doing it. If I spam my job to my personal contacts they'll just mute/hide me.

Is this a normal thing now?

You absolutely can block your boss. I blocked all management from SM. I know he knew but he's a vile man and I didn't want him looking at anything. It's not a sackable offence!!! I'd love to see the employment tribunal though

It does happen. In fact, one of my colleagues joked that on her Twitter account she should have the opposite of the usual disclaimer and write 'views my employer's and not my own'.
I don't do it as I think the content should be my own, but if they're pressurising you I'd suggest opening another account e.g. Sockypuppet work so that you can keep things separate.

"hey read all my personal messages on messenger and even printed some out"

Is that legal?

"Why is your boss a FB friend? Who does that?"

People who leave a job and then go back to it?
People who are actually friends with their bosses?
People who work in sectors where FB is used for networking in the way that LinkedIn is used in some other sectors.
I resisted adding colleagues where I work for a LONG time, but the offence caused just wasn't worth it.

Say...

"With my friends and family, we share anything and everything.... except work. Work is a taboo."

Or

"I socialise to get a break from work!"

Completely normal imo - if you work for a company, you want them to do well. I wouldn't overdo it, but I would do for them wherever I would for my own business.

Look, your boss is on fairly dodgy legal ground with this bullshit. You and your colleagues are going to need to talk to him and, if he won't listen, take it further. Because his behaviour is going to bring the company into disrepute (from your more recent posts, this wingnut is not the Boss of Bosses, but your department manager.).
What he is asking you to do is bad for business, bad for the company, and needs to be stopped.

I'd just say something along the lines of 'I like to keep social media and work separate', 'i don't use facebook / Instagram much', 'I dont think my social media contacts are your target demographic'

I think he needs a digi marketing expert - can't think of anything more off putting so lazy