Instagram to crack down on hidden influencer ads
British regulators said Friday that Instagram will clamp down on “hidden advertising” by social media influencers
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.British regulators said Friday that Instagram will clamp down on “hidden advertising” by social media influencers
The Competition and Markets Authority said Instagram's owner Facebook has committed to tightening policies to restrict influencers who don’t disclose they’re being paid to promote businesses on its platform.
It's part of an investigation into the influencer industry the watchdog launched two years ago. Regulators are concerned that Instagram wasn't doing enough under consumer protection laws to stop hidden advertising, which is illegal in the U.K. They want to make it harder to mislead people with posts that aren't labeled as ads.
Influencers are online personalities with thousands of followers who can earn hefty fees from brands for endorsing or reviewing their products or services.
“These changes mean there will be no excuse for businesses to overlook how their brands are being advertised either – making life a lot harder for those who are not upfront and honest with their followers,” CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli said.
Under the new policy, Instagram will ask users to confirm if they’re getting a reward for promoting a product or service and if they are, make them disclose it clearly.
The company will also start using technology and algorithms to spot users who haven't clearly revealed that their posts are advertisements, and then report those users to the businesses they're promoting.
Instagram is also opening up its “paid partnership” tool, so that any user can display a label at the top of a post.
The changes apply to all U.K.-based users as well as anyone globally who is targeting Instagram users in the U.K.
As part of its investigation, the competition authority last year secured formal commitments from 16 celebrities, including singers Ellie Goulding and Rita Ora, to label any posts that involved payments for or gifts of products they were pitching.