Everything you were too polite to ask.
40 plain-English guides: sizes, platform tools, #ad rules by market, rates and rights. Every one has a last-checked date and its sources.
12 articles
- Ad rulesNot legal advice
Ad disclosure basics: what counts as an ad
Every country words it differently, but regulators everywhere work from the same idea: your audience should know when you're getting something in return for talking about a brand.
- Ad rulesUSNot legal advice
US: FTC Endorsement Guides and the fake reviews rule
The FTC updated its Endorsement Guides in 2023, the first big refresh since 2009. In 2024 it added a binding Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465),
- Ad rulesUKNot legal advice
UK: ASA/CAP rules, #ad, and the CMA's new powers
The UK has two enforcers. The ASA applies the advertising code (CAP Code). The CMA enforces consumer law, and since 6 April 2025 it has used the Digital Markets, Competition and Co
- Ad rulesEUNot legal advice
EU: the rules that apply across Europe
National laws differ (see articles 5 and 6), but four EU-wide layers sit underneath them.
- Ad rulesFRNot legal advice
France: the 2023 influencer law
France has one of the strictest regimes in the world: Loi n° 2023-451 of 9 June 2023 on commercial influence. It was amended by Ordonnance n° 2024-978 of 6 November 2024 to bring i
- Ad rulesDEESITPTNot legal advice
Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal: key points
Germany - Label with the German words "Werbung" or "Anzeige", at the start of the post or video. For videos where the product plays a minor role, "Produktplatzierung" works. - Germ
- Ad rulesAUNot legal advice
Australia: AANA Code, Ad Standards, ACCC and TGA
The industry code: AANA Code of Ethics, section 2.7. Advertising must be "clearly distinguishable as such." Ad Standards (the complaints body) accepts labels like #ad, Advert, Adve
- Ad rulesCANot legal advice
Canada: Ad Standards guidelines and the Competition Act
Ad Standards' Influencer Marketing Disclosure Guidelines were updated in Fall 2025.
- Ad rulesEUFRITCANot legal advice
Labelling AI-generated content
EU AI Act, Article 50: applies from 2 August 2026. - AI tool providers must machine-mark synthetic images, audio, video and text. According to secondary sources, generative tools a
- Ad rulesUSUKEUFRITAUCANot legal advice
Restricted categories cheat sheet
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 (o
- Ad rulesNot legal advice
Gifted products and affiliate links: how to disclose (and a tax note)
Gifts count. Almost every regulator treats free products, trips and event invites as payment in kind. That includes the FTC, ASA/CMA, ACCC, Ad Standards Canada, the German media au
- Ad rulesFRUSESITCANot legal advice
Working with kids in your content
Family content can be lovely. It's also where the law is moving fastest.
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