The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has signed a new data-sharing agreement with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to improve regulatory oversight of influencer marketing in Ireland.
The agreement will allow the ASA, Ireland’s independent advertising self-regulatory body, to share details of social media influencers who fail to comply with advertising rules. This includes names, usernames, and social media images of influencers who repeatedly breach the standards.
The move builds on the joint guidelines for influencers and advertisers published by the ASA and CCPC in October 2023. Those guidelines require influencers to clearly label paid-for content — for example, by using the hashtag #ad — in line with the Consumer Protection Act 2007 and the ASA’s Code of Standards.
The ASA monitors influencer activity by investigating complaints about marketing content that may breach its Code. Where rules are broken, outcomes can include requests to amend or remove posts or formal adjudications by the ASA’s Independent Complaints Council, which are published on its website and in the media.
The CCPC, meanwhile, has broader enforcement powers under consumer protection law. These include issuing compliance and fixed payment notices, securing undertakings, imposing prohibition orders, and pursuing prosecutions.
Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the ASA, said the agreement strengthens regulatory collaboration: “We are delighted to formalise this data sharing agreement, which marks another step towards enhancing regulatory outcomes for consumers in Ireland, facilitating a strong, responsive and resilient framework for the future. Social media advertising has been a key area of our focus, and this agreement is a further strengthening of cooperation between ASA and CCPC.”
Patrick Kenny, Commission Member at the CCPC, stressed that transparency is essential: “Consumer law protects consumers when engaging with the commercial content posted by online influencers. Commercial content from influencers must be clearly labelled as such and must also not be misleading. With the ASA, we have produced guidance for influencers to help them follow the law. This year we issued our first compliance notices against two prominent influencers. We continue to monitor this sector closely and will act where we see breaches here.”
“The new data-sharing agreement allows the ASA to share reports from the public and will support us in protecting consumers when it comes to social media advertising.”
The ASA said the collaboration is designed to deliver “the best regulatory outcomes for consumers in Ireland” by ensuring influencer advertising is transparent, consistent, and accountable.
