Multiple complaints filed against Irish social media influencers
Influencers are part and parcel of our online lives, and while they entertain us with their Instagram antics, they are also masking a booming business of brand endorsements.
This year, 33 complaints were made to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland, as reported by The Journal this morning.
Ireland’s advertising watchdog received triple the amount of complaints on last year, regarding influencers promoting brands and products without the now legally enforced transparency.
Influencers are required to be transparent in their paid for content according to the Irish Statute book.
Using the hashtags 'ad' 'spon' or 'SP' are usually considered an acceptable declaration of branded content, as seen above. In the case of Snapchat, all of the snaps uploaded must carry the sponsorship hashtag, not just the first.
Orla Twomey, chief executive of the ASAI told TheJournal that 33 complaints are being investigated.
'It is likely in this area that we will have more adjudications,” she told The Journal.
The ajudications from the current investigations are due out in August.
'I genuinely believe people don’t set out to deceive or not disclose, but it’s a new area and people are learning and improving practice as they go along,' she said.
'It’s very good to see that there had been such engagement among bloggers and blogging communities in this area.'
