2,767 complaints against influencers processed; Instagram top violative platform: ASCI

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on Thursday said it has processed 2,767 complaints since coming up with influencer guidelines in May 2021.

More than half of the violations have been found on Meta-owned Instagram platform, while Alphabet's YouTube contributed a third of them, the self-regulatory organisation for the advertising industry said.

The body said in over 90 per cent of the cases, there were modifications required.

"...the Central Consumer Protection Authorities also now require disclosure of material connection between brands and influencers. Hence, non-disclosures are potential violations of the law," the body's chief executive and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said.

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In FY22, the total number of violations stood at 1,592, with virtual digital assets like bitcoins topping with nearly 24 per cent, and followed closely by personal care category which accounted for 23 per cent.

In the first nine months of FY23 (April-December 2022), there were 1,175 complaints received with personal care category topping by contributing a third of them, followed by food and beverage at 16 per cent.

Instagram accounted for 53 per cent of the violations in FY22, which has increased to 65 per cent in the first nine months of FY23, while in the case of Youtube, the same has declined from 37.8 per cent to 27 per cent.

The body also conducted a survey of 820 respondents, which found 79 per cent of them saying they trust influencers and 90 per cent saying they have made purchases based on influencer endorsements.

The survey said transparency and honesty about brand associations is the number one reason for influencer trust, followed by relatable lifestyle and content.