The U.S. Government Is Coming After Celebs Who Make Money Off Instagram
There has been nearly 90 letters mailed directly from the Federal Trade Commission to celebrities, athletes, and other social media influencers reminding them to clearly state their relationships with brands when posting #ad or #endorsement on Instagram, according to an FTC statement.
Additionally, influencers are supposed to “disclose any material connection above the ‘more’ button,” since fans and followers usually only see the first three lines of a lengthy caption when using the mobile app.
The FTC recommends the hashtags and links to stay near the top instead of at the end of the post.
“To make a disclosure both ‘clear’ and ‘conspicuous,’ you should use unambiguous language and make the disclosure stand out. Consumers should be able to notice the disclosure easily, and not have to look for it,” part of the letter read.
This is the first time ever that the FTC reached out directly to these influencers, which undoubtedly includes the Kardashians. The letters came after the FTC reviewed petitions filed by the nonprofit Public Citizen and others who were concerned about influencer advertising on Instagram.
Instagram ads are a lucrative business for celebs with millions of followers. Jezebel reported in 2016 that Scott Disick can make between $15,000 and $20,000 per sponsored post on Instagram.
H/T: Cosmopolitan