How Should the FTC Address Deceptive Endorsement Advertising Online?

Product endorsements, whether they are from minor celebrities or household names, help sell products. But deceptive endorsement advertising, especially on social media platforms and in consumer review websites, can mislead consumers. The rapid evolution of social media and endorsement advertising has created new challenges, such as how to disclose financial relationships between social media influencers and brands properly. And the rise of new Web 3 platforms, including the metaverse, will likely create new questions, such as the rules around virtual celebrity endorsements. As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updates the Endorsement Guides, a series of examples and guidelines designed to assist businesses and others conform endorsement and testimonial advertising practices to meet FTC requirements, for the first time since 2009, there is an important opportunity to clarify the rules of the road.

A panel discussion on the future of the Endorsement Guides and how platforms and policymakers can work together to protect consumers, promote innovation, and improve advertising online.