The Kardashian family has been accused of failing to disclose which of their social media posts have been paid for by Truth in Advertising (TINA.org).
In a blog post, TINA.org outlined its concerns. It said: “We have found that members of the Kardashian/Jenner family are engaged in deceptive marketing campaigns.”
The consumer watchdog alleges that it has identified more than 100 Instagram posts that violate current FTC guidelines. TINA.org says that the posts do not make it clear that they are paid for ads.
TINA.org says that it has written to the family alerting them to the illegality of their posts. It says it will file a complaint with the FTC if the posts are not removed within a week.
Since the blog was posted, Kim Kardashian has posted another picture promoting SugarBearHair supplements. This time, however, she opened the post with the hashtag #ad. Other members of the family are said to have updated previous posts with the hashtag.
The posts criticised by TINA.org relate to more than two dozen brands whose products are promoted by the family on Instagram.
Bonnie Patten, Executive Director at TINA.org, said “When it comes to sponsored social media posts, the law is clear – unless it’s self-evident that an Instagram post is an advertisement, a clear and prominent disclosure is required so that consumers understand that what they are viewing is an ad.”
She added: “The Kardashian/Jenner family and the companies that have a commercial relationship with them have ignored this law for far too long, and it’s time that they were held accountable.”
The FTC’s guidelines on social media advertising were updated last year. Users must disclose if they have been paid to promote a product. Hashtags such as #ad or #sp are not always sufficient.
Companies said to have products in undisclosed paid-for posts include SugarBearHair, Calvin Klein, Estée Lauder and OUAI Haircare.
