Watching a favourite influencer chow down on the latest fast food fad or cocktail may feel like entertainment, but those posts are likely adverts in disguise, the EU said Wednesday (14 February).

The European Union is concerned about the growing impact of social media content creators — on everything from physical and mental health, to politics and the spread of disinformation.

With influencer marketing believed to have a reaped a global total of around €20 billion last year, the European Commission launched a probe into the practice.

The results were unequivocal: it found that 97% of influencers published posts with commercial content but only 20% “systematically disclosed” it as advertising.

The study looked at 576 influencers in 22 member states as well as Iceland and Norway as part of a “sweep” to check their compliance with EU consumer law — which compels creators to disclose all advertising activity.

The platforms used by creators included Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, gamer streaming unit Twitch, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.

“Influencers hold considerable sway over their followers, many of which are minors,” the EU’s justice commissioner, Didier Reynders, said in a statement.

“I call on them to be much more transparent to their audience.”