Marketing firm Mediakix has reported that 93% of posts from 50 of Instagram’s most-followed celebrities that contained promotional brand content were not overtly marked as advertising. The posts were therefore non-compliant with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, which require transparency in sponsored content promotion. Instagram is also facing a lawsuit by the FTC over its Sponsored Stories program, where brands pay to promote their products on the platform.
Marketing firm Mediakix has reported that 93% of posts from 50 of Instagram’s most-followed celebrities that contained promotional brand content were not overtly marked as advertising. The posts were therefore non-compliant with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, which require transparency in sponsored content promotion. Despite FTC's announcement last year that it planned to enforce more stringent social media regulations, these celebrities have continued to flout the guidelines.