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Celebrity social media influencers pledge to change way they post

Alexa Chung
The model Alexa Chung has millions of followers on social media. Photograph: Christian Marquardt/Getty Images

More than a dozen celebrities, including Alexa Chung and Ellie Goulding, have pledged to change the way they label social media posts after Britain’s competition watchdog clamped down on the practice of stars being paid for endorsing products without disclosing they were being rewarded by the company.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had secured formal commitments from 16 celebrities to state clearly if they have been paid or received any gifts or loans of products which they endorse.

The celebrities, with millions of followers on social media, include the singers Goulding and Rita Ora, the models Chung and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the former Coronation Street and Our Girl actress Michelle Keegan and the TV reality stars Millie Mackintosh and Megan McKenna.

Online endorsements from celebrities can help brands boost sales as fans follow their social media channels to see where they go on holiday, what they wear or eat and which products they use.

However, where stars are paid or rewarded to promote a product in their social media feeds, consumer protection law requires them to disclose this.

The CMA’s chief executive, Andrea Coscelli, said: “Influencers can have a huge impact on what their fans decide to buy. People could, quite rightly, feel misled if what they thought was a recommendation from someone they admired turns out to be a marketing ploy.

“You should be able to tell as soon as you look at a post if there is some form of payment or reward involved, so you can decide whether something is really worth spending your hard-earned money on.”

Warning letters have also been sent to a number of other celebrities, urging them to review their practices.

The CMA said it would investigate further to look at the role and responsibilities of social media platforms.