IZEA’s goal is to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the FTC regarding endorsements in social media. We believe we have an ethical obligation to educate and protect the brands, partners and creators we work with.
IZEA’s goal is to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the FTC regarding endorsements in social media. We believe we have an ethical obligation to educate and protect the brands, partners and creators we work with.
“Advertisers have a responsibility to make sure that any sponsored content is marked as such. The disclosure should be clear and conspicuous, so that the reader understands there is a material relationship between the content producer and the brand.”
-Ted Murphy, IZEA founder and CEO
Disclosure is not just the legal thing to do…
Transparency and authenticity are the underpinnings of trust. Without trust sponsored social is ineffective for brands and detrimental to creators.
Every social sponsorship facilitated directly by IZEA or through our IZEA Flex and Marketplace platforms is required to have disclosure. Creators who do not disclose are prohibited from participating in any IZEA campaign and will be removed from our network.
“When it’s not obvious that it is an ad, people should disclose that they are being paid.”
-Mary K. Engle
Associate Director of the Advertising Practices Division Federal Trade Commission
Our Advertisers and Creators must comply with FTC guidelines that state, “When there exists a connection between the endorser and the seller of the advertised product, which might materially affect the weight or credibility of the endorsement (i.e., the connection is not reasonably expected by the audience), such connection must be fully disclosed.”
Did you know that only the FTC updated its guidelines for endorsements in social media in 2023? Do you know how this affects your campaigns?
We encourage you to download the most recent guidelines from the FTC to stay current.
Honesty of Opinion
Creators are free to write or say whatever they want. IZEA has no restrictions on how they express their genuine thoughts on an advertiser’s product or service. Advertisers may not withhold compensation based on a negative conversation, nor do we allow advertisers to force publishers to edit their post to remove critical statements.
If you believe that a Creator or Advertiser has somehow violated our Code of Ethics, we want you to report it to us. Your name will remain confidential.
IZEA created the very first marketplace for social sponsorship in 2006. Since the beginning we have lead the policy development and discussion, pushing our industry towards transparent, safe sponsorships that protect the brand, creator and consumer.
2006
Industry’s first Disclosure Policy™
Launch of DisclosurePolicy.org
2007
Industry’s first Disclosure Badge™
2008
Industry’s first machine readable disclosure
2009
IZEA Becomes a Governing member of WOMMA
Industry’s first Disclosure Audit™
Industry’s first Disclosure Engine™ For Tweets
Created sponsored checkin platform with
programmatic disclosure
2012
Created first sponsored photo platform with programmatic disclosure
2014
Created first sponsored video platform with programmatic disclosure
2016
Created first sponsored virtual reality platform with programmatic disclosure
2023
Created disclosure tool for AI-generated content in FormAI
The FTC guide covers three basic areas of compliance: education, monitoring and enforcement. IZEA provides technology platforms and solutions designed to facilitate, automate and track compliance for any size social sponsorship campaign.
Marketers are obligated to educate and inform people participating in social media marketing programs of their responsibilities surrounding disclosure and claims.
Marketers are responsible for actively monitoring each piece of content created by campaign participants to ensure compliance with the guidelines.
Marketers must halt any program or individual involved in deceptive representation upon discovery. Marketers should make reasonable effort to correct any misinformation and discontinue utilizing individuals who fail to comply with the guidelines.
IZEA requires compliance with the FTC’s disclosure guidelines, whether marketers work with creators in Flex or via the Marketplace. Our FormAI platform has a feature to programmatically insert disclosure into AI-generated content in a way that is clear and transparent for consumers.
Instagram Example
YouTube Example
Blog Post Example
Facebook Example
Twitter Example
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