A New Era of Transparency in Advertising
Official titleRegulation Amending the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices
With comprehensive amendments made to the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices, new transparency rules have been introduced regarding influencer advertising, environmental claims, user reviews, targeted advertising, and the use of artificial intelligence.
Details of the Regulation
This regulatory amendment contains critical regulations aiming to protect consumers in the world of digital marketing and e-commerce. In particular, the use of labels indicating advertising in posts made by social media influencers has been made mandatory, and the rule that expressions such as 'advertisement' or 'promotion' must be easily readable and distinguishable has been established. In cases where digital characters generated by artificial intelligence are used in advertisements, a requirement has been introduced to explicitly notify consumers of this situation.
Regarding consumer evaluations (reviews) on the internet, the condition that only persons who have actually purchased the product can leave reviews has been imposed, and having false or fake reviews posted has been prohibited. Furthermore, a requirement for scientific evidence and certification has been introduced for advertisements containing environmental claims (eco-friendly, green, etc.), targeting the prevention of 'greenwashing' practices.
In targeted advertising, a transparency requirement has been introduced in consumer profiling processes, and data-driven targeted advertising directed at children has been completely prohibited. As for discounted sales advertisements, the 'lowest price prior to discount' rule has been reinforced, and provisions preventing price confusion between different sales channels (online vs. store) have been added.
Questions You Might Have
- What do influencers need to do when sharing a product they received as a gift?
- At the very beginning of the post, without requiring the consumer to scroll the screen, the label 'Advertisement' or 'Promotion' must be added, and the commercial connection with the brand (thanking, provided by, etc.) must be clearly specified.
- Will only those who buy be able to write reviews?
- Yes, pursuant to the regulation, internet platforms are obliged to allow only persons whose purchase of that good or service can be verified to post evaluations.
- How will we recognize an advertisement made with artificial intelligence?
- If artificial intelligence or a digital character is used in an advertisement, the advertisement is required to state this in a clear, understandable, and distinguishable manner.
Key Terms
- Çevresel beyan
- Phrases and visuals claiming that a product does not harm nature or is beneficial to the environment.
- Hedefli reklamcılık
- Advertisements displayed specifically to the user by analyzing their internet history, location, and preferences.
- Influencer
- Persons who conduct marketing by sharing content on social media and obtain financial or in-kind benefits from it.
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REGAS Commentary
This regulation serves as a major protective shield for all consumers who shop online and follow social media. Unfair commercial practices such as 'influencers' engaging in covert advertising or product ratings being inflated with fake reviews are now subject to legal sanctions. Consumers will now be able to distinguish more easily whether an advertisement they see is genuine or marketing content.