Look out, influencers: Your ads could be in danger

There are 11.5 million posts tagged as an #ad on Instagram. Soon, the government agency in charge of regulating advertising will decide on whether that three character hashtag and its ilk are enough to inform followers that what they're ingesting is sponsored content.

On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is publishing a request for public comments on its "Endorsement Guides," or the rules that govern how advertisements that use personal endorsements and testimonials must make it clear to consumers that they are ads. These sorts of ads include influencer posts, but also encompass much more, such as magazine advertorials or comments and reviews on sites like Yelp that someone has paid for. Read more...