
Influencers are incredibly powerful, but brands need to work with them properly. Image credit: Harrods
This week, the United States' Federal Trade Commission settled its first-ever lawsuit against influencers for not properly disclosing their financial relationship with the product they endorsed.
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","iv":"c5d4c64a1c0832f47be0bd28305bfb87","s":"5e3de9354cf552cd"}