FTC Guidelines For Influencers Explained

Being an influencer isn’t all brand trips and free products. 

Stepping into the role of a public figure is an immense responsibility. Consumers can easily be swayed by content, taking advice as gospel and making major purchases based on one video from their favourite influencer. As such, it is influencers’ duty to be conscious of the content they post and how it affects users. 

To aid this, the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) guidelines were created. These guidelines seek to protect consumers from deceptive advertising, including endorsements created by influencers. 

At first glance, these guidelines may seem convoluted and misleading. That’s why we’ve done all the digging for you and gotten to the heart of how to abide by FTC guidelines for influencers in 2025. 

FTC GUIDELINES 101

What are the FTC guidelines 

As previously mentioned, the FTC guidelines serve to protect audiences from any misleading, false, or dangerous claims made by influencer endorsements online. According to these guidelines, these regulations apply anytime an influencer promotes a product or service from a brand they have a material connection with. The term “material connection” extends to personal, familial, employment, or financial ties with a brand. 

So, for example, if an influencer receives a PR box from a brand and decides to post a review, they are required to divulge that it was a gift. 

@natalie_oneillll

AD testing the new @Glossier Invisible Shield sunscreen under makeup and for white cast/pilling. It did not disappoint! It’s Natalie & Juma approved #glossier #glossierpartner #sunscreen #spf #sunscreenreview

♬ original sound – Natalie O’Neill

How to follow FTC guidelines 

When to disclose 

Disclosures must occur when an influencer has any kind of material connection to the brand they are endorsing. It is important to note that the FTC views financial relationships as more than just being paid to review a product – if an influencer receives anything of value in exchange for a review, be that free products, discounts, or else, this counts. 

@ambardriscoll

This is a DREAM thankyou @Penguin Random House @penguinukbooks !!! ♥️♥️ (gift)

♬ original sound – Ambar Lee

It is important to never assume that followers are already aware of one’s ties to a brand. In the age of TikTok and endless scrolling, many users will only see an endorsement video in their For You Page or Explore feed – as such, they have no prior knowledge of which brands the influencer has worked with in the past. Thus, influencers must disclose every time they post an endorsement, not just the first time they work with a brand. 

Furthermore, the FTC considers likes, reposts, and any other positive engagement with a brand as endorsement. In these cases, the influencer must disclose the nature of their relationship with the brand. 

Finally, whilst many influencers naturally tend to proclaim when they don’t have a relationship with a brand, this is not required. If they simply love a product and want to share it with their audience, they are not expected to declare that that is their own, free opinion. 

How to disclose 

According to the FTC, it is an influencer’s responsibility to ensure that their disclosure is easy to see and understand. Any convoluted or difficult-to-identify disclosures do not make the grade.

@leilapeacock_

Forever grateful for these crazy parcels🥹🥹 tysm @rhode skin 💛 PR parcel #rhode #rhodelemon #rhodemist #rhodephonecase

♬ No Broke Boys – Disco Lines & Tinashe

To avoid this, influencers should place their endorsement in a hard-to-miss spot. The endorsement should not be hidden amongst a slew of hashtags, but rather distinctly separate and on its own. It is recommended to write the disclosure on top of images and videos for extra clarity. For video content, the FTC suggests influencers also verbally disclose their relationship to the brand they are endorsing. 

Moreover, the FTC makes it clear that any and all endorsements must be truthful. In practical terms, this means influencers cannot endorse products they have not tried, cannot lie about their experience with said products, nor can they make wild claims about the efficacy of the goods that would require the brand to provide proof. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF FTC GUIDELINES 

While they may seem like overkill, the FTC guidelines play a crucial role in not only protecting the influencer-consumer relationship but also the creator economy at large.

Consumers must understand whether or not an endorsement is of an influencer is of their own volition or not, as it keeps creators authentic. If influencers were allowed to simply take money from any brand and provide recommendations as they wish, this would cheapen the value of honest endorsements. For followers to trust influencers, they must trust that they are telling the truth. 

@bambidoesbeauty

@Glossier lied to us because the new Invisible Shield SPF 50 is SO much more than just a sunscreen ad #glossierpartner #glossier #sunscreen #glossierpartner #glossier #sunscreen #spf #spf50 #sunscreenviral #invisibleshield #glossiercheck #suncream #makeupprimer #primer #skincare #skintok #grwm #skincaretips #ageingbackwards

♬ original sound – Bambi Does Beauty

Furthermore, FTC guidelines allow consumers to truly weigh up the value of endorsements. If they are aware of when an influencer has been provided with compensation in some form, then they are more likely to approach the product with caution, to carefully weigh up whether or not they truly want to make a purchase. This thus protects consumers from making purchases based on false information. 

The regulations set out by the FTC also play a crucial role in maintaining influencers’ relationships with their audiences. By being honest with their recommendations, influencers build trust with consumers. Users who trust the influencers they engage with form firmer, more long-lasting relationships with them. This means more engagement and a tighter-knit community in the long run. 

Ultimately, FTC guidelines for influencers are essential in keeping the creator economy in stasis. To throw these rules away as unimportant or dull is to discard the sanctity of the influencer-consumer relationship. These seemingly pointless rules do their part to protect consumers and the influencers they interact with. Influencers must read, understand, and follow these guidelines to the letter to ensure they are doing their best by their followers. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE, and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs.

@sociallypowerful