Dubai Government Cautions The Public About Influencers

Are you following influencers on social media? The Dubai government says to be wary of their endorsements

Posted on

24 October 2018

| Last updated on 24 October 2018

It was only up until recently that the word “influencer” truly resonated with residents in Dubai

And lately, it seems as if anyone with more than a couple thousand followers on Instagram classifies as an influencer, however, just because they have a lot of followers doesn’t mean you should follow their every move.

This is exactly what the Government in Dubai is warning the public against – residents should be wary of the actions of influencers on social media, especially of what they are endorsing.

The Dubai Consumer Protection, a Dubai Government entity, released a 36-second video on Twitter saying that “some of them [influencers] are paid to advertise convincingly to you.”

In hopes that this video will warn local residents about the choices of products that are endorsed by their favourite social media influencers and to avoid always buy into whatever they are advertising, especially if it will harm you.

Dear Consumers:
Do not restrict your choices to social media influencers opinion on a product, service or a meal in a restaurant.
Some of them are paid to advertise convincingly to you.
Ask more .. before you make a purchase . #smart_consumer #empowerd_consumer pic.twitter.com/ITFrVRaJEE

— حماية المستهلك - دبي Consumer Protection (@dubai_consumers) October 20, 2018

This video also aims to remind the public that they should always “ask before making a purchase,” and that they have a right as a consumer to report any scam, fraud or fake endorsement through the Dubai consumer app.

Dubai’s regulations on influencers

Earlier this year, the Government of Dubai released specific regulations that are aimed towards social media influencers in the country.

It says that those who want to promote a product or service through their online platforms in exchange for money must obtain an influencer license from the UAE’s National Media Council.

From there, the influencers would be granted a trade license to cover these activities online – however, authorities still warn followers to be wary of all endorsement activities.

UAE’s National Media Council set these regulations in place after the rapid growth and spread of the electronic media.

It also hopes that these rules and licenses will regulate the competitiveness of influencers in the market, increase their reliability to their followers and ensure the posting of balanced and impartial media content online.