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Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Influencer culture

Closed Opened 26 Mar 2021 Closed 23 Sep 2022 6 recommendations

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The inquiry will examine the power of influencers on social media, how influencer culture operates, and will consider the absence of regulation on the promotion of products or services, aside from the existing policies of individual platforms. Research showed that more than three-quarters of influencers “buried their disclosures within their posts”. It will also assess influencer impact when it comes to media and popular culture as well as the positive role they can play, such as raising awareness for a campaign addressing vaccine hesitancy among people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Read the key points in an interactive summary of the report .

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 26 March 2021.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently Twelfth report - Influencer culture: Lights, camera, inaction? on 9 May 2022.

The government's response

Third Special Report - Influencer Culture: Lights, camera, inaction?: Government Response to the Committee’s Twelfth Report of Session 2021–22

Published 23 September 2022. The deadline was 6 September 2022.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government welcomes the report and agrees with several of its aims, but does not wish to commit to commissioning a review of the influencer marketplace "at this time" and sets out no new legislation, instead continuing existing work.

  • On harassment, it agrees with the "intentions" of the recommendation but does not consider that further additions to clauses 17 and 18 of the Online Safety Bill are necessary, as the framework "already achieves this".
  • On a code of conduct for influencer marketing, it agrees that one would complement ISBA's work, has held "initial discussions" with industry partners and "look[s] forward to continuing to develop" it.
  • On giving the ASA statutory powers, it will "bear in mind" the recommendation as it analyses Online Advertising Programme consultation responses, and will set out its response "in due course".
  • On child influencers, it is "aware of the regulatory gap" and the Department for Education is "open to exploring" legislative options, without committing to legislation.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Second Special Report - Influencer Culture: Lights, camera, inaction?: ASA System and CMA Responses to the Committee’s Twelfth Report of Session 2021-22

Published 22 July 2022.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The ASA system and the CMA each respond to the Committee's report, committing to some further work on influencer advertising while stating that the ASA system lacks a basis to consider watermarking virtual influencers and that the CAP Code already includes enhanced disclosure for ads aimed at children.

  • On watermarking virtual influencers, the ASA system says that, in the absence of evidence of advertising-related harm, it does "not have the basis to consider further, at this stage" the recommendation.
  • On the CAP Code's remit tests, the ASA system will "commit to exploring" how to clarify that payment alone invokes disclosure requirements, and will explore whether there is a case for reconsidering the payment and control tests.
  • On under-16s in marketing, the ASA system says the safeguarding concerns fall outside its remit, but will "commit to review by the end of 2022" its guidance and, "if necessary", update it.
  • The CMA says it is satisfied Meta is making "appropriate progress" on its undertakings, with full implementation expected by the end of 2022, and expects to publish final compliance principles for platforms "in due course".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Recommendations and conclusions

All 6 recommendations and conclusions

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 7 oral evidence sessionsLatest 1 February 2022
  • 31 witnesses
All evidence

Recent activity

Recommendations and conclusions 6 shown

Recommendation 22

Recommendation · Twelfth report - Influencer culture: Lights, camera, inaction? · Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Government add to clauses 17 and 18 of the Online Safety Bill a requirement that reporting and complaints mechanisms, as outlined in new codes of practice created by Ofcom, must be tailored to the specific nature of various types of harms. Diversity

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Recommendation 39

Recommendation · Twelfth report - Influencer culture: Lights, camera, inaction? · Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Advertising Standards Authority introduce a requirement to the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising (CAP Code) for virtual influencers to be watermarked. Intermediaries

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Recommendation 44

Recommendation · Twelfth report - Influencer culture: Lights, camera, inaction? · Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Government commission an industry partner to develop a code of conduct for influencer marketing alongside relevant stakeholders. The Government should then promote this code as an example of best practice for deals between influencers and brands or talent agencies. The Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct, created by the ISBA, could provide a useful starting point, although it would require amendments to ensure all relevant stakeholders were represented. Pay rates Brand deals

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Recommendation 69

Recommendation · Twelfth report - Influencer culture: Lights, camera, inaction? · Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the remit of the CAP code be extended by removing the requirement for editorial ‘control’ to determine whether content constitutes an advertisement.

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Recommendation 86

Recommendation · Twelfth report - Influencer culture: Lights, camera, inaction? · Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the ASA be given statutory powers to enforce the CAP Code. These powers should be considered as part of the Government’s upcoming Online Advertising Programme. Appropriate funding arrangements should also be considered to ensure that the ASA is able to act effectively on these enforcement powers. Monitoring

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Recommendation 97

Recommendation · Twelfth report - Influencer culture: Lights, camera, inaction? · Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the CMA report to our Committee on the progress, costs, and results of their 2020 Facebook Ireland Ltd. undertakings. In doing so they should also provide updates on their progress securing undertakings from other social media platforms. 277 Competition and Markets Authority, Undertakings to the Competition and Markets Authority (pursuant to Section 219 of the Enterprise Act 2002 (EA02)) relating to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, (10 October 2020) 278 Ibid., undertaking 17 279 Q408 [George Lusty] 280 Competition and Markets Authority (INF0027) 281 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Reforming competition and consumer policy, (20 July 2021) 282 Competition and Markets Authority (INF0027) Infuencer culturee Lights, camera, inactionn 35 5 Children Children as viewers Benefits and risks

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Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

7 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
1 Feb 2022
Oral evidence session
Chris Philp MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Mark Griffin · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Sarah Connolly · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 		View ↗
27 Jan 2022
Oral evidence session
George Lusty · Competition and Markets Authority, Guy Parker · Advertising Standards Authority 		View ↗
18 Jan 2022
Oral evidence session
Elizabeth Kanter · TikTok, Iain Bundred · BBC, Ronan Costello · Twitter, Tom Gault · Instagram 		View ↗
25 Nov 2021
Oral evidence session
Abbie Richards, Becca Lewis, Dr Giovanni De Gregorio, Dr Robyn Caplan, Dr Stephanie Alice Baker, Sara McCorquodale 		View ↗
2 Nov 2021
Oral evidence session
Dr Catalina Goanta, Dr Ysabel Gerrard, Ed Magee · National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment, Helen Wills · Actually Mummy, Professor Sonia Livingstone, Sergei Urban · The Dad Lab 		View ↗
14 Sep 2021
Oral evidence session
Amy Bryant-Jeffries · Gleam Futures, Amy Hart, Ben Jeffries · Influencer.com, Nicole Ocran, Professor Brooke Erin Duffy 		View ↗
13 Jul 2021
Oral evidence session
Dr Crystal Abidin, Dr Francesca Sobande, Em Sheldon, Keith Weed · Advertising Association, Sarah Brin · Media Molecule 		View ↗

Who gave evidence

31 witnesses

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WitnessOrganisationSessions
Abbie Richards Not recorded 1
Amy Bryant-Jeffries · Business Director, Talent and Partnerships Gleam Futures 1
Amy Hart Not recorded 1
Becca Lewis Not recorded 1
Ben Jeffries · Chief Executive and Co-Founder Influencer.com 1
Chris Philp MP · Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Dr Catalina Goanta Not recorded 1
Dr Crystal Abidin Not recorded 1
Dr Francesca Sobande Not recorded 1
Dr Giovanni De Gregorio Not recorded 1
Dr Robyn Caplan Not recorded 1
Dr Stephanie Alice Baker Not recorded 1
Dr Ysabel Gerrard Not recorded 1
Ed Magee · Chair National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment 1
Elizabeth Kanter · Director of Government Relations and Public Policy UK TikTok 1
Em Sheldon Not recorded 1
George Lusty · Interim Executive Director for Consumer Protection and Markets Competition and Markets Authority 1
Guy Parker · Chief Executive Advertising Standards Authority 1
Helen Wills · founder Actually Mummy 1
Iain Bundred · Director of Policy and Public Affairs BBC 1
Keith Weed · President Advertising Association 1
Mark Griffin · Deputy Director, Creative Economy Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Nicole Ocran Not recorded 1
Professor Brooke Erin Duffy Not recorded 1
Professor Sonia Livingstone Not recorded 1
Ronan Costello · Senior Public Policy Manager EMEA Twitter 1
Sara McCorquodale Not recorded 1
Sarah Brin · Senior Outreach Producer Media Molecule 1
Sarah Connolly · Director, Security and Online Harms Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Sergei Urban · founder The Dad Lab 1
Tom Gault · UK and Northern Europe Public Policy Lead Instagram 1

Correspondence

1 letter

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PublishedDirectionLetter
8 Mar 2022 To committee Letter from Chris Philp MP, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, relating to Influencers oral evidence on 1 February, 28 February 2022