The responsible European authorities have put influencers under scrutiny, as it is increasingly observed that they engage in practices that deceive consumers. In just one month, the audit mechanisms of 22 countries, including those of the Greek Ministry of Development, identified 576 influencers, who will initially receive warnings from the Commission through state authorities to rectify their actions. If they do not comply, further action will follow.
Specifically, as announced by the Ministry of Development, the audits identified 576 influencers, with 20 of them originating from Greece. In the near future, they will receive a letter from the Ministry of Development, informing them comprehensively and calling them to take immediate corrective actions to ensure that their activities comply with European consumer protection legislation.
The audit, conducted at the pan-European level, took place from October 27, 2023, to November 30, 2023, with the participation of 22 competent authorities of the Union’s member states.
The coordination of the audits was carried out by the European Commission through the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network, which involves the collaboration of competent national authorities of the member states for the enforcement of consumer legislation.
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Research in Europe:
– Out of the 97% of the controlled influencers whose content is commercial, only 20% clearly disclose to the consumer that their posts are advertising or commercial in nature.
– 78% of influencers engage in commercial activities, but only 36% of them are registered in a commercial register in their country, as required by national legislation of the member state.
– 30% of influencers do not provide full details about their company, such as commercial name, geographic address, email address, or registration number.
– 38% do not use the specific disclosure tools provided by platforms in their posts, such as the “paid partnership” indication on Instagram. Instead, they choose different wording, such as “collaboration” (16%), “partnership” (15%), or general thanks to the brands they collaborate with (11%).
– 40% of influencers maintain visible disclosure of the commercial nature throughout their commercial communication.
– 34% of influencers present disclosures in a way that is immediately visible, without requiring additional steps from the consumer, such as clicking on “read more” or scrolling to the bottom of the page.
– 40% of influencers promote their own products and services. However, 60% of them do not provide clear and explicit information that it is a commercial activity and promotion of their own products.
As a result of the EU Sweep 2023, out of the 576 influencers examined in the first phase, further investigation by the competent authorities for the enforcement of consumer legislation at the national level is pending for 358 influencers.
Influencers and consumers can find information on the Influencer Legal Hub website/library of the European Commission, which includes, among other things, a series of educational videos and information from various sources presenting legal obligations, fair commercial practices, and applicable European standards for consumer protection.
