Fourteen women and two men who promote products and services to their fan bases on social media have pledged to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that they will henceforth make it clear when they are being paid in any way for their endorsement, making it worth nothing.
The women named by the CMA , after an investigation into the murky nature of selling on social media, are model and writer Alexa Chung, Alexandra Felstead (Made in Chelsea TV) singer Ellie Goulding, Holly Hagan (Geordie Shore TV), designer and model Rosie Huntington – Whiteley, actress Michelle Keegan, model Iskra Lawrence, Camilla Mackintosh (Made in Chelsea TV) Megan McKenna (Reality TV), singer Rita Ora, Chloe Sims (Only Way is Essex TV), blogger Zoe Sugg, Louise Thompson (Made in Chelsea TV) and blogger Dina Tonkia. The men named are blogger James Chapman and Mario Falcone (Only Way is Essex TV). If they fail to comply with the agreement reached with the CMA they could be taken to court, fined heavily or face prison sentences of up to two years.
All of the above sixteen were being investigated because they may have repeatedly broken the rules, which require them to make it clear when an endorsement has been paid for.