THE WHAT? Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating some 100 influencers after receiving several complaints from the public about ‘misleading’ endorsements and testimonials, according to a report published by Reuters.

THE DETAILS The competition regulator will look at Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook as well as Snapchat, TickTok, YouTube and Twitch and check whether advertisers, marketers and brands are facilitating misconduct.

The maximum penalty for breaching consumer laws in Australia is AU$2.5 million.

THE WHY? ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement, per Reuters, “The number of tip-offs reflects the community concern about the ever-increasing number of manipulative marketing techniques on social media, designed to exploit or pressure consumers into purchasing goods or services.”