Dept of Consumer Affairs Releases Guidelines- ‘Endorsements Know-hows!’ for Celebrities, Influencers on Social Media Platforms

The guidelines are intended to ensure that individuals do not mislead their audiences when endorsing products or services and that they follow the Consumer Protection Act and any associated rules or guidelines.

According to the guidelines, endorsements must be made in simple, clear language, and terms such as "advertisement," "sponsored," "collaboration," or "paid promotion" may be used. Individuals must not endorse any product or service that they have not personally used or experienced, or for which they have not performed due diligence.

The department has observed some ambiguity regarding which disclosure word to use for which type of partnership. As a result, any of the following disclosures may be used for paid or bartered brand endorsement: "advertisement," "ad," "sponsored," "collaboration," or "partnership." The term, however, must be suggested as a hashtag or headline text.

Individuals or groups with access to an audience and the ability to influence their audiences' purchasing decisions or opinions about a product, service, brand, or experience due to the influencer's/authority, celebrity's knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience must disclose, according to the guidelines.

The guidelines suggest that the disclosure must be included in the endorsement message in a clear, prominent, and difficult-to-miss manner. Disclosures should not be combined with hashtags or links. In order for viewers to notice endorsements in a photograph, disclosures should be superimposed over the image.

Disclosures for endorsements in a video or live stream should be made in both audio and video format and displayed continuously and prominently throughout the entire stream.

The guidelines advise celebrities & influencers to always review and ensure that the advertiser can back up the claims made in the advertisement. It is also recommended that the product or service be used or experienced by the endorser.

Finally, the guidelines aim to make sure that individuals do not mislead their audiences when endorsing products or services, and that they follow the Consumer Protection Act and any associated rules or guidelines. Celebrities, influencers, and virtual influencers must follow these guidelines in order to maintain transparency and authenticity with their audience.