‘Need Transparency’: Influencers React to New ASCI Guidelines

“Influencers should know what is ethically wrong and ethically right,” a content creator said.

The draft guidelines aim to ensure that influencers explicitly disclose whether a content published is promotional or not.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on Monday, 22 February, laid out draft guidelines for influencer advertising across digital platforms in a bid to make consumers aware of when they are being presented with advertising content on digital platforms.

The draft guidelines aim to ensure that influencers explicitly disclose whether a content published is promotional or not.

The Quint reached out to digital media influencers following the disclosure of the new rules.

“There should be transparency that this one is a collab (collaboration) and this one is just a genuine review,” Trushna Parekh, a beauty blogger told The Quint, adding that as influencers, “we hold a lot of credentials and responsibility when we are promoting a product.”

However, she added that “brands and agencies are also equally responsible.”

Chetan Ghule, a content creator, also agreed with the guidelines, saying that they were “much needed because social media is the new superpower.”

“Influencers should know what is ethically wrong and ethically right,” Ghule added.

On the other hand, content creator Harshada Shinde disagreed with the guidelines saying that, “people following me will think that i’m doing this because it’s a paid promotion, and not because i’ve used it.”