A study reveals that most content creators in Spain are violating European advertising regulations by concealing commercial advertisements under deceptive formats. This lack of transparency severely impacts consumers, particularly young people, who receive persuasive messages without realizing they are being influenced by commercial interests. Authorities plan to first implement educational measures, providing guidelines on best practices to correct these bad practices stemming from ignorance. However, the option of imposing financial penalties remains if behavior does not change, ensuring that both influencers and companies assume their legal responsibilities regarding deceptive advertising. This case is relevant to open data because it highlights the need for algorithmic transparency and structured data in digital marketing. By making compliance standards and violations public, it fosters accountability on platforms that operate with large volumes of information, promoting a more ethical, verifiable, and open digital ecosystem to protect users' rights against hidden practices.
Source: publico.esPublished on 2024-03-06