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A bunch of celebrities just copped warnings about Instagram posts

Emrata, Puff, Naomi Campbell, and more are in trouble with the FTC

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Weekly updates


America’s Federal Trade Commission has continued its crackdown on celebrities and social media influencers advertising products on Instagram without disclosing them as ads. Over 90 celebrities, influencers, and brands have received notice from the FTC about their undisclosed sponsored posts.

Last month the FTC announced that it was actively tracking Instagram looking for sponsored posts that aren’t disclosed. This is the reason you’ve probably noticed #ad appearing more regularly. But what does all this mean for social media marketing and, more importantly, the authenticity of your Instagram feed?

Well the FTC changes directly diminishes the value of endorsements through celebrities and influencers by making disclosure mandatory. Influencer marketing relied on word-of-mouth ideals, where followers could believe influencers were genuinely recommending products. Vague terms like “thanks @brand” or “much love to @brand” provided a grey area, alluding to a relationship with a brand but not definitive enough. Now we’ll know when celebrities are shilling products for cash and are less likely to be won over by their posts than before.

Check out our highlight of the name’s on the list below. You can also see the whole list (and even read the letters sent by the FTC) here.


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01. Emily Ratajkowski

 

Opening day! ⚾️? Let’s go Dodgers! Thanks @budweiser #dodgerburger #sponsored

A post shared by Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) on


With 12.8million followers Emrata is serious heavyweight when it comes to social media influence. In the past she’s cashed in on posts for Levis, Budweiser, and a heap more. These days she’s pretty good at acknowledging when a post is sponsored, but it’s an old post for Sugar Bear Hair vitamins that landed her on the FTC’s watchlist.

02. Mark King, president of Adidas North America

 

As the president of Adidas’s North American activities Mark King presides over a gigantic amount of work for the company. He’s been put on notice by the FTC for utilising influencers and not having them disclose sponsorship properly. It’s a part of the FTC’s strategy to make sure both brands and influencers are responsible for ensuring disclosure.


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03. Naomi Campbell

Arrivederci Milan! Enjoyed to be here with @tods #TodsSellaBag # TodsSneakers

A post shared by Naomi Campbell (@iamnaomicampbell) on


All we can say is good luck to whoever at the FTC has the job of reining in Naomi Campbell, we do not envy you.


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04. Scott Disick

Vintage rollie vibes today thanks 2 @byoungco

A post shared by Scott Disick (@letthelordbewithyou) on


Interestingly the inclusion of Scott Disick is as close as the FTC got to the Kardashian/Jenner empire. Not so surprising is his inclusion on this list since most of Scott’s work comes from appearances and endorsements. He’ll just have to get better at disclosing them.


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05. Puff Daddy

 

#AboutLastNight DIDDY.COM

A post shared by DIDDY (@diddy) on

Puff’s bio reads “Father. Artist. Producer. Actor. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist.” so we shouldn’t be surprised to see sponsored posts in his feed. With an empire of products under his belt he’s always promoting his own stuff, but the FTC had issue with him not being overt enough about what fell under that empire.


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06. Amber Rose

Another victim of not editing old posts. While Amber Rose seems to disclose most sponsored posts these days by adding #ad, it’s the failure to edit some old posts that caught the FTC’s attention.


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07. Weirdly, no Kardashians or Jenners

 

How the Kardashian/Jenners avoided receiving warnings from the FTC is a genuine mystery. The celebrity clan are pioneers of influencer marketing. We’ve seen some of their posts lately be edited or deleted to fit the FTC’s regulations so maybe it’s a case of being the bad girls turned good.