Warnings increase over covert advertising in Finland as influencers face scrutiny

The rise of social media influence has led to an increase in warnings regarding covert advertising in Finland. Paula Paloranta, secretary of the Advertising Ethical Council, informed STT that over 150 opinions on hidden advertising have been issued in the past seven years. This issue gained attention recently when several social media influencers received notifications regarding undisclosed advertising from the council.

One notable case involved actor and entrepreneur Janne Kataja, who was reprimanded for a Facebook post promoting the film “Kyllä isä osaa.” At the time of the post, Kataja was a shareholder in the film’s production company and one of its actors.

In response to the growing presence of influencers in marketing, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority is in the process of updating its guidelines on how social media influencers should conduct advertising.