Controls of the commercial practices used by influencers on their social media accounts will be carried out in the coming weeks by the Ministry of Development, with the assistance of digital tools from the European Commission, to protect consumers from misleading commercial practices.
In particular, as stated in the announcement of the Ministry of Development, in the context of pan-European checks carried out in the member states of the Union at the initiative of the European Commission (EU Sweeps), the General Directorate of Market and Consumer Protection of the General Secretariat of Commerce is going to carry out checks on the commercial practices that influencers use on social media in order to promote or offer for sale goods and services of companies (brands) with which they cooperate.
The objective of pan-European checks is twofold: First, to identify social media posts by influencers that contain testimonials, reviews or listings that may be misleading to consumers, influencing their purchasing behavior and causing financial loss, and secondly to verify whether influencers clearly inform their followers about their company's identity and contact information.
The European Commission and the Ministry of Development invite influencers, as well as all those involved in the digital marketing industry, to visit the Influencer Legal Hub platform, in order to be adequately informed about their legal obligations, fair commercial practices and the applicable European standards for consumer protection.
Source: RES-EAP