Turning Trust to Transactions: Tracking Affiliate Marketing and FTC Compliance in YouTube's Influencer Economy
arXiv:2603.04383v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: YouTube has evolved into a powerful platform where creators monetize their influence through affiliate marketing, raising concerns about transparency and ethics, especially when creators fail to disclose their affiliate relationships. Although regulatory agencies like the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued guidelines to address these issues, non-compliance and consumer harm persist, and the extent of these problems remains unclear. In this paper, we introduce tools, developed with insights from recent advances in Web measurem
The proliferation of influencer-based marketing on platforms like YouTube has reached a level where regulatory bodies and researchers are actively developing tools to address transparency issues, indicating a maturation of the digital advertising landscape.
Non-compliance with advertising disclosure regulations in the influencer economy can lead to consumer harm, reputational damage for platforms and advertisers, and potential regulatory actions with significant financial implications.
The introduction of robust tracking tools and research into affiliate marketing and FTC compliance will likely increase pressure on influencers and platforms to adhere to disclosure guidelines, potentially altering monetization strategies.
- · Regulatory agencies
- · Consumer protection advocates
- · Ethical advertisers
Increased scrutiny and enforcement of disclosure rules for affiliate marketing on creator platforms.
Platforms may implement stricter internal policies and automated compliance checks, impacting creator revenue models.
A potential shift in advertiser spend towards more directly measurable or compliant channels if the influencer economy becomes too regulated or complex.
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Read at arXiv cs.LG