The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has named and shamed several social media influencers, including Jodie Marsh, Chloe Khan, Lucy Mecklenburgh, and Chloe Ferry, for repeatedly failing to disclose paid endorsements on Instagram. These individuals are the first to be added to a new public roll-call of offenders, and they face potential fines or removal of their posts if they continue to breach the rules.
The ASA issued a final warning to 122 UK-based Instagram influencers in March, requiring them to clearly label promotional content with hashtags such as #ad or #spon. However, the named influencers either failed to provide assurance of compliance or subsequently reneged on their commitments. Examples include Chloe Ferry promoting Debt Slayers and Jodie Marsh advertising nutrition supplements without proper disclosure.
Guy Parker, chief executive of the ASA, stated: “We prefer to work with influencers and brands to help them stick to the rules. The first influencers to be named on this list have been given every opportunity to treat people fairly about their ads.” The ASA warned that further non-compliance could lead to referral to Trading Standards or the Competition and Markets Authority, which can impose fines, or collaboration with social media platforms to remove content.
The ASA's crackdown follows a spot check in September 2020, which examined over 24,000 posts from the 122 influencers. Nearly a quarter of these posts were ads, but only 35% were clearly labelled. The watchdog reported a 55% increase in complaints about social media influencers last year, rising to 3,144, with over 60% related to Instagram posts.
Other influencers previously censured include Emily Canham, the first to be sanctioned for a TikTok post, and former Love Island contestant Luke Mabbott. In October, Instagram announced plans to tighten enforcement of advertising disclosure rules in the UK, following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority.
