FTC Disclosure
An FTC disclosure is the clear, conspicuous statement a US creator or affiliate must make when they have a material connection to a brand — such as being paid or earning a commission — so audiences know the content is an ad or endorsement.
The US Federal Trade Commission requires endorsers to disclose any material connection to a brand. In practice this means labels like #ad or 'paid partnership' on sponsored content, and a clear note that links may earn a commission on affiliate content.
Disclosures must be clear and hard to miss — placed near the claim, in plain language, not buried in a wall of hashtags or behind a 'more' link. Non-compliance can bring penalties for both the brand and the creator. Similar rules exist elsewhere, such as ASCI guidelines in India.
See also
- Affiliate Disclosure
An affiliate disclosure is a clear notice telling readers that a link may earn the publisher a commission if they buy, required by the FTC and comparable regulators to keep affiliate recommendations transparent.
- ASCI Guidelines (India)
ASCI guidelines are the Advertising Standards Council of India's rules requiring influencers and advertisers to clearly label promotional content with disclosures like #ad or #sponsored, India's counterpart to FTC endorsement rules.
- Sponsored Post
A sponsored post is social or blog content a creator is paid to publish promoting a brand, which must be clearly disclosed as an ad under FTC and comparable rules.
- Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a strategy in which brands partner with creators who have engaged social audiences to promote products, paying through flat fees, free product, affiliate commissions, or a combination.
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