The Hungarian competition authority, Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH), has found that influencer Strenner Antal, also known as Whisper Ton, did not adequately label the advertising nature of his social media posts. As a result, the GVH has issued a warning to both the influencer and his business, requiring them to develop and implement a compliance program.

This investigation is part of a broader initiative launched in May 2024, targeting six Hungarian influencers and various advertising companies for similar issues regarding the proper disclosure of advertising content. The GVH reviewed 49 social media posts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, discovering that nearly three-quarters of them failed to properly indicate their advertising nature, with some lacking any indication at all.

The GVH reiterated its previous guidelines on advertising disclosures, specifying that influencers must clearly label their posts with appropriate hashtags or visual indicators. In this case, a fine of 5 million HUF was imposed on Coca-Cola Szolgáltató Kft., the advertiser, while no sanctions were applied to the influencer agency or other advertisers involved.

The GVH is closely monitoring the commercial practices of domestic influencers, emphasizing their significant influence on consumer behavior and the importance of adhering to marketing regulations. The authority plans to update its influencer marketing guidelines based on recent enforcement experiences.

In November 2023, the GVH conducted an online sweep to assess the advertising practices of local influencers, finding that only 20% consistently comply with advertising disclosure rules. Out of the six influencer investigations initiated in May 2024, two are still ongoing, while the cases against Kása Roland, Halmi Bence, and Forstner Csenge have been concluded.