Social media influencers and content creators, take note!
Yesterday the UAE’s National Media Council announced 19 new content standards for licensed influencers based within the country. The Council has made it clear that content creators will need to abide by the new guidelines, or else risk a fine of up to Dh5,000.
According to The National “… adverts must be clear and borders must be placed between the advert and any other content. They should be labeled as “advertisement material” or something similar to identify them, according to the guide.”
This means no hiding #advertisement or #paid_ad amongst other hashtags or at the bottom of your captions.
Sponsored post disclosures need to be placed at the beginning of posts and captions.
“The rapid growth of the global media sector has seen the advertising sector in the UAE play an ever-increasing role in driving the economy,” said Rashid Al Nuaimi, executive director of Media Affairs at NMC.
The NMC has made it clear that these guidelines have yet to be enshrined into UAE law, however, anyone who fails to follow the new rules will be subject to an initial fine of Dh5,000 (with a potential increase in the fine not paid within five working days).
According to Gulf Business, the NMC has said that sponsored or ad content must not…
- Be vague, ambiguous or unclear
- Contain false or misleading claims
- Use falsified images
- Exaggerate the product or service being advertised
- Lead to confusion with other names, products or activities
- Endorse criminal activity
- Violate the existing standards relating to media content and age classification
Back in March, the NMC announced their plans to implement an influencer and digital content creator license within the UAE. Licensing regulations were rolled out in the spring of 2018, with the intention of ensuring all forms of e-media comply with the values and media standards of the UAE.
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