#SCOTLAND THE FREEBIE ... Los Angeles-based social media influencers enjoy five-star freebie trips to Scotland paid for by taxpayers ... But do Twitter, YouTube and Instagram posts breach ASA and FTC advertising rules?
AMERICAN social media stars were given Government-funded, all expense paid trips to Scotland in exchange for gushing online reviews. Four online ‘ influencers ’ were gifted the freebie visits and put up in five-star accommodation across the country. But the Twitter, Instagram and YouTube posts they published were not marked as advertising, in a likely breach of US Federal Trade Commission laws. Mary Engle, head of the FTC's advertising practices division, said: " Under FTC law, advertising should be identifiable as advertising, in whatever medium it appears. "This means a social media post that's a promotional message rather than an independent opinion should be clearly presented as such, for example through a prominent disclosure that it is sponsored advertising. "We issued guidance for advertisers and endorsers outlining when, why and how they must disclose their relationship so that consumers are not misled into thinking that sponsored pos...