14 Feb 2024
- 19 Apr 2016
- 2 Min read
Govt joins Google in condemning paid online endorsements
The government has published a new guide on the transparency of paid online endorsements, just one month after Google made a landmark announcement on the subject.
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has been issuing warnings to bloggers about their failure to clearly mark sponsored content, alongside a summary document dated April 2016. In the document, the CMA warns readers: “If paid endorsements aren’t identified, you may be breaking the law.”
Non-disclosure of paid online endorsements is a breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) and the UK Advertising Codes. In a 2015 report, the CMA said: “[We are] concerned that some businesses may be paying for advertising or sponsored content in blogs and other online articles without ensuring that this is obviously identifiable to consumers.”
So the illegality of this practice is nothing new. However, the timing of this new document’s release suggests that the government could be working alongside Google to combat non-disclosure of paid online endorsements, or is at least piggy-backing on Google’s announcement.
It is unknown whether the CMA has previously issued warnings to bloggers deemed to be in breach of the regulations, or if it is cracking down on the practice following Google’s announcement.
Either way, brands and publishers must be extra cautious about paid promotional opportunities, whether it is money, products or services that will pass hands.
Publishers, businesses and anyone acting on their behalf must ensure:
- Paid-for content is easily identifiable
- Sponsored links have nofollow tags
- No fake reviews are written about their own or other brands
Google takes manual action against sites that fail to comply with its guidelines. In the worst cases, webmasters can be issued a site-wide penalty that sees their site removed from the rankings. Breach of consumer protection law is a crime punishable by imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
