Some products carry extra rules on top of normal disclosure. Check your audience data before saying yes: UK regulators look at whether more than 25% of your audience is under 18 (or under 16 for junk food).
| Category | Watch out for |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | UK: don't target under-18s, and avoid media where more than 25% of the audience is under 18. FR: existing media alcohol rules apply to influencers. |
| Gambling | UK (since Oct 2022): no content with "strong appeal" to under-18s. Influencers popular with under-18s can't feature. FR: must show "Interdit aux moins de dix-huit ans"; tipster subscriptions are banned. IT: gambling advertising is broadly banned. |
| Finance and crypto | UK: promoting a financial product without approval from an FCA-authorised firm can be a criminal offence (s21 FSMA; FCA guidance FG24/1). AU: specific recommendations or paid trading-platform links may need an AFS licence (ASIC). FR: crypto promotion only for authorised providers. |
| Health and supplements | AU: paid testimonials for therapeutic goods are banned outright (TGA). US: claims need proof; the FTC has warned influencers over undisclosed nutrition posts. FR: never encourage stopping medical treatment. |
| Weight loss and cosmetic procedures | UK: don't target under-18s. FR: cosmetic surgery promotion is banned. |
| Junk food (HFSS) | UK: paid online ads for less-healthy food are banned from 5 Jan 2026. Gifting likely counts as payment. |
| Tobacco and vapes | UK: the ASA has repeatedly banned social posts promoting nicotine vapes. FR: nicotine promotion is banned. US: the FTC and FDA warned e-liquid firms over influencer posts missing nicotine warnings (2019). |
| Cannabis | CA: the Cannabis Act restricts promotion, including testimonials and endorsements. |