The end of "Wild West" era for influencers
Italy introduces strict rules for influencers.
Source: Index
Italian influencers and other content creators on social networks could soon be bound by the same rules as traditional media when publishing content online. The influencer's activities will be monitored by the Italian Communications Agency (AGCOM), reports the BBC.
The rules will initially apply to influencers with more than a million followers.
"The Wild West era for influencers is over," said AGCOM chief Giacomo Lasorella. "We are starting big, but others will also have to adapt," he told La Repubblica newspaper.
What kind of rules are we talking about?
Prominent influencers will face hefty fines if they fail to indicate brand collaborations or disclose their commercial interests. The proposed guidelines also aim to protect children, with a new set of regulations including serious penalties for influencers who do not properly advertise their brand collaborations and commercial interests, with fines of up to €250,000.
One of the influencers advertised a Christmas cake claiming to help a children's hospital
Many will see AGCOM's decision as related to the recent scandal involving Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni - Lasorella noted.
In December, Ferragni, who has almost 30 million followers on Instagram, was fined just over a million euros for claiming that the sale of a "designer" pink Christmas cake would help fund a children's hospital in Turin. The cake manufacturer gave the money to the hospital a few months before the product was even launched.
Official police investigation
In a statement released to her followers, she said she had made a "mistake in good faith... by associating a commercial activity with a charitable one". Last week, Italian police announced that an official investigation would be launched against Ferragni for fraud in connection with the Christmas cake case.
Stricter rules for influencers were introduced in other European countries last year.
In June, France passed a law under which influencers could face jail time if found to have broken new advertising regulations. It was the first time that the job of an influencer was legally defined in Europe.
In October, the European Commission announced that it would increase oversight of the budiness practices and activites od influencers, stating that digital content creators will have to "follow fair commercial practices, and their followers have the right to transparent and reliable information".
