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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SUBnf8lSuW3w\/Okwq7+8U0AviHaONalNV8qUPqCHOjYajh31vhKZ84p42I+vVNaKtyoqz+2JFN9QvgoIye7NoBq0byLHXOKBKRA+vPQl6lJQYKXR2kMJKZafsOQMsR5M3jZyxFxYTDSbSwgIgZUoMbiVyn+bEStGN0\/s4RBcAvolv4vKLd9KIS\/4dDA9ERwaCC8cCHGSmP4cRtoQgi+sXuzyuvXtjnRnqXw7Nw7mI0vRMSfPexwJfvq3H16vcmEze6KZFExZuRydkXK6nn9IO+xTuQ3+IT2YkhwLhxOX7M+Z6AmJOd2OzTfmt3WQgrGaWzlgFkdaKsHl60XuCWtBHMue+gFsqKQFIi\/W1qQYav3Fk\/jk84TsRZlfC5Zft\/G2lbVqf1nqSmLOWnXiYB\/G\/IMAcfWsuhXB0hGPJx4aGBH2tKoHiaHotGpU778JJeer18ZHkAGTnWMnIJ5Urj2gsNBM\/sspkt+JOhT2F\/BXMSveK+s4oI2MOwCU0MOn4sknakRkpJSm+KygLF2+SWGLI8qJdFYnp7KXW37kdPO6uV1W8WmV4EDA6BxI2DucMNIeFpVoC0vUPopiSGJJN2dmn7LvPm\/iiTUW4muQajuHsj1FMqRADaEoqrUu3LYYIhUo7AFyTBcuYwigOU29jyO0B\/+Xt5NiRJJ1GPV\/ztIKYtJTsHx6O6taVqU03NtZ+szAwbcwDQTHjHy0DrWHIy7KVq4dW3MwXJ\/UPYB9j3aMtLHjmKmKHwYKARmBwtVEzYT394pp8XjA2bPTmMXzUFkXwzBs8R\/vHvgC8JjA\/4vfjoDD1kBthAUspBm0dkRGWhsaNqpGzDUJ\/ja98esy4aD7ZhPu2Og6R0MbsCEFG\/YcRO3nIu0fl1vDeNKhA3t\/GfBj\/glhpytzueNLqkbqfatkgPA7u\/n3BGG6tGQDW\/earxNZoQ751wjKAMeb7Dn+OIl8NRHvulJSj1HTWdBLafoEM26ThNJ3NjkkKSpsyoAZiopynSZ1pNswF5eju0Y2cI91pKMIz3yDMlA8YP2+lFCuZ+qSvBBwy7b+3uY5J3gOBfp0PS5WAZwZHBXvuo2FdRkVx0sQVRXrZ8qFjOGMLV02Kcp5f6L0GFSqEF6WsjmDt4u62spm5RiwjUZTSsZs9unVxc9nB7vQ2GweggCz0Zkg7SU7AYqOciwcq2B+Cb4\/5cj76BeAWs17n4j6U\/33XgNT4p2ndwWxthxKWMC1F6tPgUKkN31zywsbdu\/m\/gzAsahB9uYQ+Ue1s2+Bv6HI+f7HuzK7BxDJZOyLF8BgY7Wp8S6vFISy2GPb2hm9bOGBGY97aprhfdcZroIr243EIz2tdmvx8kz2WMUScHBFNSg2AcAJJIAK1+SSurGvLn+jmPaXHvZqm6zVhVjzciDSiiGqHL54IuIV3KRcNL\/xxxiAh2E49imXHx7BwcL1g187I7Y+eL8orvZhB\/gcbdXsPCdlXDJgb0KHdK7vlv4a8Jyby3fPdqUn9KJw65dQpcoG3kvaEJPeRLsDacixq0TZ5A7JRkSo\/OjCODvdmuryplebcEoRrG42ylSmeSw8AvMEv+fKtX4QFedmic+O\/6M5Tb8euLf3LwvvRg8OmWEnwmOCR2tgT5Dmk+eFHNgVlvONcPyresoQk4AGoFbFcqjHVDNAxv9aGL8jxGckIzV0TU34HCDai\/RqsJNZ0ZgvTeKJLCVT7JyzY2vbdbSEHw9Qv6PM7eoiwgOlNKBOIuaH7\/nJVpDRugIPrZqOVpLckQ0btIQVK4i0iIPL1XsPyXmXLB+Z+oePv1YApyLT3An6SmqdgacwFg4I+1STHay1OXsSGKoSL5FvFoUsdW1nI2yzsWa04ApTv5w9lN92zv5Z\/TDuNsU8OiygwStTnVKDJNOmm0hNpMmQImYKAyT+vCscpsF1BUaAqOaIYXgbCAYKAJCrEasWtQDV6G+xiGLyAQLmBwPl6zgB7QSava7OdbbWgBPrxq1Hhr9Vu7dPehg7eFrHDzWLXO3njE55n7CF8+wnscdwMH\/zZdvedD3yP7eugA8jlymGgcXUIDS7NggFNSWrGMVDwa2CkIYd\/\/g7tl5QVMDucYGQNSbxydZHnKLek+YcreFliBzsSA+Gkd\/EVp5C0rQXysJZGzcDPx1gfskQzhY4uAh7gZllSb4CSKJIPGVjK3xI3cUQOXSUxqTtcRV0yg3tAYG6rMz400hu5lmtFbSMunFEX4lKQme8Ugec7N5mt1CzSGFNFFPhaD0B\/FkQhja2YdGYfek+cBMGBT1hPkPfZxbbCtsQVxk0bw4SfqXCsXqba0gIltwJK\/A5QCTBG0+phtdm14o8vhq+22oVDkcRbiIErERHQbp5Jewam89rnzbmOGhaBp0+wEGOeRhaIq7SKLlcuP8\/aonA4WfeoJL7tyK2Tc4nhLVbgincFmMQG1K0jmGoS9ELTmjqw9v8N1Ju8W4xE1sN5luX2RkCYMxkUOmPHifEUaRTMla\/4+cWF0rZdtQ6yIwQJGC6PD+VTweDzoRzFA9gGaps1n3Cewihk1z2PwmgQ7thMAvRLw7\/B2wHjmVFSyzHXSXjGwYzCXitEv0Ywgb0nskMotF7bWM\/KvNEV8Z1aw7II3S9GroXSVHeEt\/+iOLaotQ1qlsZFe6IXvD8OEogalaFV4aVmfzi0k+K7DGlBg+L43+9w1CoURKMm+kN4YeShRhTYVQCSn7XUoTIc9zQ\/eSO4lkJugxprzPmEBXFRpJulFUvrojWOzqCwroiz9ALbz6fk67t\/Sr5x5haLrh+ZLDoQVNks7HlS+bLLUkx+3yGmRhFakG68g7wsiXmsEJvj4ftrHFfq2gP+3jEHMCviJzKhQZZYN+vtzIcFDnMX\/zEQx+g0hJafkZ9hBkYtUJHM21pqR8o8jwfMyGof0RnCa1DnVLj2WNTvGppCsGjIBKbvjC5lZYzGRM3UbkQoLbP6XRdiZiGtj3WPuClyoVUtYK8HnI4f5TX2gpuM7O7eQSkBDnoH9MsORK3wrxv6sysuH0Vs4SQCbKwetLfhrbkUJJUNx4ikDC\/QIaUXHGmKCcsiiJMxX\/F969\/Wd61j9gIyDXJFdXaZ5j6DLJ8w2VCMvQ0TJ8KQ0nVuAP09QHEgWI\/luBiR4++GcIzjygE2LuGHf2R1HaP+CTuH6mln+oFltxj6LMT6mKiWp3U+o84CUGWLwEWEqxhon4C95wn5m4X8DkJPLQzdl1InuLfAS0x3lWKbXgg1\/m9CmxDpg8ve3eKmH1VGS6p+z3N\/N4uHaVuGYuYHVqJG5CpwZOzeiSOTBfC6kIfUTH1oIW2cFns7TGznpUZ+gUovUQpjRkOYluDditTbBge7O9qJu2NX0zWBgZF+cmvqhlGRuxvmonUO8At4nnDDLqcI6bMku\/5lxr8Lxl05g\/XE\/Yh5ljOMiLT7zOFWM69KXtpOA5CjPMJekbmXqmcpYIyJtXMLjOpCeJQJ2NDvvSwtlQHa0JOzAsvIjTx8WcV8eisNFJY7xnrO2KWlcmH15vakaE6XdALTl+ZCyFPmsjlBnAWDJtKdlsgYxGBGI4PfAs+BybogErvjCl9XJJchCuQxHsYFmiuZqOw7NoAtNBrWaWOzJic4B815UtwpCkny9mrqeJRQkDll0vSZuaFmOfqAMFVLVjBm+C\/HL8ykMGrw92QSQcr0e0RcVjBW3sTYDtRJl7KonKg2Xv7Sy+F\/bEy4eTDBx0mIqJm4dcoRXlejjLd16OK576PKSggyW6mQ0zVO2f0va4F0\/zNVYGBfd9yd472UDfPFSvAsg2tRJtNQWrLJyDBrQlFT3VGZaE4jFujBwbe6SUmY8OoPDkNrVShSHMr\/mLEO+QqrnctEwcAL7C8ryxgvClMywcuYlA4\/tngu7TRs3SLvZ3kAPvcfr8GhGSa6nGepbAVkUDGdhkshNU5jpaa05Gm2yC6X90m3qK2Q0ghn4ZAo7mxqw3QCIGm6jrZQ2Rf15aF\/TAd1kK\/7SHmYCQ3L9Fm0rrp3RgqYrEh2P0ndrjfiVrYZEv3rkm2m9pJVD8ks9lPbtrQwJueMD3qwtXZ7+M7AUJ4bEe3wHfak7HUUB4Ddc3hhLOtrFgBSaRGBcltINLbWiHZSDCUCBDvkxe0HI5GfvV\/2GtoqH8OjNPdN0KXxobt71usnKQSallD1M4uRSRupHEewyJi+gNVQRFfN++zzK6qAlP1V0B8GsVAMhG5vE5QCY2wRKELHVvmw97p5Ox2BJjwpD9ajRAtsBEGT018oUqGSxqPgZN\/NuaEs87bXMmk6qntrob\/7ztCY\/dFpdSZQD3ObWCLbE2PwYcLq8BBEGyR\/tr0cR2+57NquWQsW51GNZtTlz7U4hw+Efwkw66YDVttn7NkAScGIOR+aGEAkotfP\/monph8mGUMOCT\/hfSS3dDcTyvxFUyF5cFrfhJYlO0fqGx6hY23pU0+Zt5Lw5ECdm2J1cwgIorfdvfppePVT3hrAFRc\/atT0LFkRuJfZstsY7XCgS5kLtAewJfSrKp5\/LQwKKOdwJlB4BvFpSAlstizZFe3wjKIbw7sBoWnOkBnZrFiN0UEVWpA2TImGZm3VAuZaPeq4yEFxgqBHnAtUi1GCclhtOZODnjHy5uuQ8R8cWRefPjt55SOA+gcXx5SKai+vXfPyRAEGrCE1yd7zhGPezLEWGatPIoCPmjbt3Pd8zy0woN+6mA\/dYh1RItwemGuKFFhvjv9T2wSzmuK0eh+Jl6wVjFDUOFi9CCc67z+n3\/C\/Zvr1IUedQX16lI4cA4bEv\/fAgi4ko5cAtUiOfE72uJaP9rnE7tsiyN44YnE652p4yC8HeIMoq3TwzKCzXAoaCB3bB0zifmId9QZ\/hb5YVCyRISAXdmCwCvPV4UhGX+CY2woY0rnUR1+0z39jxhnufjg0LbhrmhFtB5n4+P1t5LnHMomRHdxOP6qi8xNh0bVAT8UV+0IAuz3gPuawfAMZWqm2zmQzDucj9IqySlnh7lAOf+3l3ffjg7U73EUUm26gMbPAeuoP0QbUJ9dGmpWqCbzQuCxoznKfRka4YLvZii0FP7cAZ9HyXKbY0xzO4J5wlV7573vqF1RsZGZDLdki\/mbfUIJMQm7DH0wgDsYWAAbNd2SSR8wFSEPA2D2+O0jQggL3CKr2Dx9uh\/b017Fko6mJIN4p551+At65R2ozUTalpm13z7bE92XG0kgpyG+vB9aBZTyoYiRXviwr7jou7XDJaNgigvhQeaCkniSI3UuIG+TGLvmRhzusNpXkBXtCpt6T596dQTiLKBdkEZL0ERjjBr9WB5mHpZTgCVHz9RTl0FehGHWZXM8i0odGT2pqlWEzJnkVVPsXUg2bR+eJ8EqLwM=","iv":"fe7ce73e25939a211224cf6c47065311","s":"16a6083d494d257a"}