The Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection claims that the line that separates simple contents from advertising content is increasingly forsaken.
The Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection (Deco) requested this Monday rules for the “influence marketing” on social networks, claiming that the line that separates simple content from advertising content is increasingly terminated.
Em to the Deco considers necessary to change the advertising code to better adapt to these new realities and different ways of communicating.
“It is urgent to advance with a set of restrictions on the object of advertising and a simplification of the procedural regime,” says the association.
Deco recalls that, in recent years, with the growth of the digital economy and social networks, “Influence Marketing has definitely changed the paradigm of advertising, being considered the most effective form of line advertising.”
Despite the “goodwill” of initiatives to sensitize prosecutors to comply with the law in terms of advertising and promote good practices in commercial communication, Deco recalls that Unidentified advertising “remains a constant”it is often difficult to recognize when it comes to advertising content.
And gives examples of common commercial practices in influence marketing that need “more attention and clear limits”, such as the Advertising disguised to promote aesthetic procedures, food supplements or weight loss planswith the potential to “negatively influence more vulnerable audiences”.
That’s why, Deco appeal to a densification of the rules and the introduction of new prohibitionsto reinforce the transparency of advertising on digital platforms, facilitate the application of the rules and their supervision, protecting the most vulnerable.
