Buying fake followers has never been a good look. But now, the Federal Trade Commission has enacted legal consequences for it. Further, this new ruling affects influencers and brands alike. This article covers everything you need to know about this unprecedented ruling…
Why the Crackdown on Fake Followers?
For a while, we have collectively been over the age of influencers. They no longer have as much sway over real consumers as they used to. As such, falsely bolstering your following has become more common…
AT LEAST, UNTIL THE FEDERAL TEADE COMMISSION HAD SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT IT.
Last month, the FTC made a final decision on the legality of buying fake followers. And spoiler alert — it’s not. That being said, the real question is why?
After all, what is the harm in it? Turns out, it all comes down to deceiving others…
Advertising and e-commerce lawyer, Robert Freund, simplified the decision to Business Insider:
“IF A BRAND PAID TO HAVE A BUNCH OF FAKE FOLLOWERS AND THEN RAN JUST AN ORGANIC POST ON THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT KIND OF CONTENT IS STILL COMMERCIAL CONTENT. IT CAN STILL BE ADVERTISING EVEN IF THERE’S NOT EXPRESS AD SPEND BEHIND IT.”
Within that explanation, we can see the little loophole if you want to look cooler on social media…
There Are Exceptions to Every Rule
So, you may have fallen into the trap of purchasing followers to boost your ego. Don’t worry. You’re not going to be dragged off in handcuffs.
UNLESS YOU ARE USING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE TO MAKE MONEY.
That being said, you may want to reevaluate why you want to buy fake followers even if you aren’t cashing in.
At the end of the day, you can’t be great by lying — even to yourself.
— GCTV Staff
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