Advice for Social Media Influencers
Who: Federal Trade Commission.
Watch: Official FTC video page.
Published on the media page: 4 November 2019.
Evidence basis: Official video description and associated FTC guidance; the recording itself was not transcribed in the retrieved page. (ftc.gov)
Key takeaways: The video introduces disclosure responsibilities for people recommending or endorsing products through social media. The accompanying FTC material explains that relevant relationships can include payment, free products and other connections—not merely a conventional advertising fee. (ftc.gov)
Our suggested buyer application: Use the recording as an introductory training aid for editors, presenters and commercial staff. Then review the actual placements where the publisher recommends a studio, distributor or operator, including sponsored coverage and affiliate-linked reviews.
For implementation, use the FTC’s current endorsement FAQ. It discusses affiliate relationships and explains why a disclosure only in a video description may be insufficient; it also addresses matching visual and audible disclosures to the endorsement. (ftc.gov)
Suggested review questions:
- What commercial relationship could affect how the audience interprets the recommendation?
- Is that relationship apparent where the recommendation appears?
- Does an edited clip or embedded version retain the relevant disclosure?
- Are editorial claims supported independently of the supplier’s promotional copy?
What it does not establish: Disclosure guidance is not a demo-content licence or a determination that a linked gambling promotion is suitable for a particular audience. Keep rights, advertising review and technical availability as separate workstreams.