Be included even if the influencer is negatively reviewing a product or service. You think this has nothing to do with you, perhaps? For sponsored videos, disclosures should stay on the screen long enough to be noticed, read, and well understood. They’ve also caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission, who are the agency responsible for enforcing federal laws on advertising and promotions. That depends on the medium. In response to requests from potential commenters for additional time to file comments due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the FTC will soon publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the comment deadline extension. The good news is that as the FTC cracks down on material connection disclosures, these disclosures are rapidly becoming valuable social media assets. No letter, no enforcement action. This content is 1 year old. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources. If you would like to find out more information about the FTC Endorsement Guidelines, we at Pissed Consumer suggest checking out. To that end, the FTC wants to create more transparency in sponsored content by … CONTACT FOR CONSUMERS:Consumer Response Center877-382-4357, CONTACT FOR NEWS MEDIA:Jay MayfieldOffice of Public Affairs202-326-2656, STAFF CONTACT:Michael OstheimerBureau of Consumer Protection202-326-2699, Blog: Endorsement Guides: The FTC wants your feedback, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Workplace Inclusion, Reporting Fraud, Waste, Abuse or Mismanagement, What You Need to Know About the Office of the Inspector General, Companies and People Banned From Debt Relief, Statute, Rules and Formal Interpretations, Post-Consummation Filings (HSR Violations), Retrospective Review of FTC Rules and Guides, Other Applications, Petitions, and Requests, Magnuson-Moss Warranty Public Audit Filings, International Technical Assistance Program, Competition & Consumer Protection Authorities Worldwide, Hearings on Competition & Consumer Protection, List a Number on the National Do Not Call Registry, File Documents in Adjudicative Proceedings, systematic review of all current FTC rules and guides, The FTC’s Enforcement Guides: What People Are Asking, Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra Regarding the Endorsement Guides Review, 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising; Request for Comments, FTC Seeks Public Comment on its Endorsement Guides. First 125 characters. In the crucial under-25 consumer demographic, social media wannabes are pretending to be paid to promote brands. The problem stated by FTC was that those disclosures were not visible enough. Recent developments demonstrate the FTC’s continued interest in social media endorsements.. First, in an effort to provide additional guidance on its endorsement policies, the FTC again updated its Endorsement Guide (the “Guides”) frequently asked questions (“FAQs”). The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on whether to make changes to its Endorsement Guides as part of the agency’s systematic review of all current FTC rules and guides.. As calculated by Forbes, companies are on track to spend at least $3 billion on influencer social media marketing in 2019 — and that’s expected to double in 2020. Even though the branded content symbol is a) clear and b) prominent, it is not c) central. Since 2017, the FTC has been busy cracking down on influencers, and the companies that use them, if they break advertising laws. Lord & Taylor did settle the charges with the FTC in 2016.