The new era of mass-influence is here, but do you know who to trust

The internet is full of fun videos, cool products and interesting people to follow. But before you decide to buy or try something because an influencer recommends it, it’s worth asking, “Is this an ad?”

Understanding sponsored* content and disclosure* labels can help you make informed choices every time you scroll.

An influencer is someone who has built a large online following by regularly sharing videos, photos or advice. Because many people trust their opinions, influencers can affect what their followers think, try or buy. That’s why it’s important to know when they’re sharing their own opinion and when they’re being paid to promote a product.

Dr Tanya Notley, a communications professor at Western Sydney University, said Australia has laws that mean businesses or influencers must be honest about products or services they are selling.

“This means that if they claim a product can do something, it has to be true and they need to be able to prove it,” she said.

“Influencers need to clearly tell us when they are being paid to advertise or promote something on social media but often they don’t do this. They can be fined if they get caught not disclosing this, though.

“It’s important they tell us if they are being paid to promote something, because this information can help us to make an informed decision. For example, if someone tells us their skin is looking brighter and clearer since they’ve started using a certain face wash, we will think about this information differently if we know someone is paying them to say this.”

Disclosure labels are tags or notices that give us extra information about a product, service or piece of media. They can tell us things like where something came from, what it is made of, how it affects the environment or whether it was created using artificial intelligence.

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), a government organisation that helps protect people when they buy things or use services, it is unacceptable for businesses or influencers to use unclear terms to tell us they are being paid to promote something. These include terms like “sp”, “spon”, “sponcon”, “collab”, “creativepartner”, “ambassador” and similar abbreviations. Instead, they should say “paid partnership”, “advertisement” or “sponsored content”.

Curtin University digital anthropologist* Professor Crystal Abidin said some influencers can earn $100,000 for a YouTube video they create.

She said it’s important to understand the difference between influencers, internet celebrities and content creators because they have different rules about when and what they need to tell people if something is an advertisement or paid promotion.

According to Prof Abidin, internet celebrities are people who are highly visible online, who we watch because we love them – or because we don’t.

“Influencers are a subset* of internet celebrities who do this for a career or living,” she said. “You generally feel that they’re different from mainstream celebrities, because they’re ordinary people who gain a celebrity following online.

“They generally try to cumulate* a positive reputation and a loyal audience, who trust them because they are relatable but have charisma. We are now also progressing* into a new era of content creators who rely on platforms like YouTube, Twitch and TikTok, who reward users for having high visibility through view counts – comments, engagement or the length of time they spend on their platform. They get paid by the platforms because viewers stay on the platform for a long time.”

While the industry might sound exciting, Prof Abidin warned that becoming an influencer isn’t always as profitable as it seems – and some wannabe influencers may even start out by creating fake content.

“They may say a brand has given them something even if it’s not true, just to get the ball rolling and earn trust from other brands,” she said.

If you think online influencers are not being upfront and honest about being paid to promote something or a business is using fake online reviews to trick or mislead people, you can report them via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission at accc.gov.au/about-us/contact-us-or-report-an-issue or call them on 1300 302 502.

POLL

GLOSSARY

sponsored: to financially support

disclosure: the act of making something known or a fact that is revealed

anthropologist: a person who scientifically studies humans, human behaviour, and human societies past and present

subset: a smaller set or group whose items are all contained inside a larger set or group

cumulate: to gather or pile in a heap, build up by adding new material

progressing: to move forward, develop, or improve over time

EXTRA READING

Part 3: Deepfakes and AI images

Part 4: Clickbait and engagement traps

Part 5: Algorithms and your feed

QUICK QUIZ

What makes someone an influencer?

Why is it important that an influencer tell us when they are being paid to promote something?

What are some of the unclear ways influencers label their content as promotion? And what do you think these abbreviations mean?

How do internet celebrities differ from mainstream celebrities?

What things do platforms reward content creators for doing?

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