• Surreptitious advertising, scam - these are just some of the prohibited practices currently being investigated by the President of UOKiK.
• In addition to ongoing investigations, work is being finalised on guidelines for influencers on the labelling of sponsored material.
• See tips for users to avoid falling into the traps of influencer marketing. You can find practical advice on the UOKiK Instagram account (@uokikgovpl).

Download the instatips for consumers

For many weeks, the Office has been looking at the social media advertising market. At the same time, common guidelines are being established to help influencers run their businesses legally. We are in the final stage of consultations between UOKiK and the Influencer Marketing Working Group of IAB Poland with institutional support from SAR and the Advertising Council. The discussion on forming good practices cannot miss the concerned parties themselves - the influencers and their observers. That is why, the next stage of the work will be to gather the opinions of social media users on the marking of advertising content. You will soon find questions about specific solutions on our @uokikgovpl profile on Instagram. Follow us now! 

By publishing popular content and creating the image of "experts in a given field", the opinions expressed by influencers are perceived as a reliable source of information by users. With the latter in mind, the President of UOKiK has prepared practical tips for "social media consumers" - instatips to help them make conscious choices. How to distinguish sponsored content posted by internet celebrities on Instagram or Facebook from neutral content? Opportunity or pressure? Fashion or need? What should the consumer pay particular attention to? Here are ten instatips, for anyone who wants to make conscious purchasing decisions. You can also find them on our Instagram.

"There are many posts on social media that may appear to be the independent opinion of a celebrity, but are simply paid advertisement. Unfortunately, there are times when sponsored content is hidden under the guise of regular posts, unbiased reviews or event reports. These are prohibited market practices. That is why we are carrying out administrative activities and, in parallel, preparing guidelines for this business. We also show consumers how not to fall into the trap of influencer marketing", says Tomasz Chróstny, the President of UOKiK.

INSTATIPS for consumers

Influencers, such as your favourite instagramers or streamers, can have great power to influence your opinions and decisions. By showing their daily routine and creating popular online materials, such as tutorials or reviews of various gadgets, they gain a lot of authority and interest, and their statements are perceived as reliable and unbiased.As a result, you may also trust their choices of products or services more, like they are your good friends... But should you always trust them?

Remember that not every influencer recommends a product because they have tested it and are happy with it - sometimes it can be a paid promotion commissioned by a brand, which the influencer should label accordingly. An advertisement that creates the impression of a review or selfless recommendation is surreptitious advertising. It is a prohibited practice! Are you unsure whether you are dealing with an advertisement or an objective review? Look for clear signage in influencer publications, e.g. #advertisingcollaboration, (advertisement), [advertisement] "Advertising material on behalf of...", #sponsoredmaterial, (sponsored post). Advertising material should be clearly marked, if it is not - report it to us at scam@uokik.gov.pl

Download the instatips

"I encourage instagram users to report unfair online behaviour to us. Just send an email to scam@uokik.gov.pl, also anonymously, and describe the irregularity, attach a screenshot or recorded video. When using social media, consumers should remain vigilant and apply the principle of limited trust. Let's be critical of the content that social media suggest to us", says Tomasz Chróstny, the President of UOKiK.

UOKiK has created an account on Instagram

@uokikgovpl - you can find here details about influencer marketing and more. We present findings from monitoring this sphere of the web, but also provide other unique content. If you're in doubt whether a post is an advertisement or you see a scam, tag us @uokikgovpl in the comments - we'll check it.

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Consumer support:

Phone: 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16 – consumer hotline
Email: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
Consumer Ombudsmen – in your town or district

Additional information for the media:

Press Office of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection
 Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw
 Phone: 22 55 60 246
 Email: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
 Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL

You can also find us on Instagram: @uokikgovpl