Influencers to get training on legal and ethical guidelines

ANKARA

The Trade Ministry has launched a training program for social media influencers, allowing them to acquaint themselves with the ethical and legal guidelines that must be adhered to in marketing communications.

Social media posts and ads have a direct impact on the purchase patterns and preferences of customers, raising the possibility of these individuals being defrauded through these means, according to the ministry's statement.

This initiative, therefore, aims to support advertisers in enhancing their commercial communication abilities while simultaneously ensuring that consumers are better protected on social media platforms. It also intends to help social media influencers embrace a more open, trustworthy and moral advertising approach.

In line with this objective, training sessions will offer up-to-date information on a variety of subjects, ranging from tax laws and consumer rights to managing social media ads within ethical guidelines and protecting personal information in advertising, the statement claimed.

"Social media, the digital world's quickly expanding power, comes with a lot of responsibilities. Influencers play a vital role in providing customers with correct information and fostering an atmosphere of openness and confidence,” Avni Dilber, general director of the Trade Ministry’s consumer protection institution, said at a meeting held for the purpose of announcing the training program.

This project will significantly foster an honest business life and a conscientious customer base by increasing the effectiveness and dependability of social media's power in commerce in this sense, according to Dilber.

Featuring joint efforts of the Advertising Self-Regulatory Board and the Treasury and Finance Ministry, this training program will initially involve social media influencers with more than 300,000 followers.

The program is slated to commence on Nov. 25 and feature in-person training sessions every two months for a year, with the participants receiving a certificate of attendance at the conclusion.