{"id":399283,"date":"2022-01-26T03:40:38","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T00:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-shady-science-of-instagram-influencers\/"},"modified":"2022-01-26T03:40:38","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T00:40:38","slug":"the-shady-science-of-instagram-influencers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-shady-science-of-instagram-influencers\/","title":{"rendered":"#The shady science of Instagram influencers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3fa8949c6e6\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3fa8949c6e6\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-shady-science-of-instagram-influencers\/#Stealth_advice\" >Stealth advice?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-shady-science-of-instagram-influencers\/#Questionable_language\" >Questionable language<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-shady-science-of-instagram-influencers\/#%E2%80%98Well-received_content\" >\u2018Well-received\u2019 content<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#The shady <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> of Instagram influencers<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Manhattan-based influencer Tinkerbelle the Dog could live forever \u2014 at least that\u2019s what her <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> ad for pet-cloning service ViaGen might suggest.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am a one of a kind pup. That\u2019s why my human chose to preserve my dna with\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/viagenpetsandequine\/\">@viagenpetsandequine<\/a>\u00a0genetic preservation\u2026 #sponsored,\u201d the popular papillon-Maltese mix notes on her Instagram account, which has more than 510,000 followers. <\/p>\n<p>In exchange for the post, Tinkerbelle and owner Sam Carrell received a free round of genetic preservation valued at $1,600. Tink is one of many beloved Instagrammers who are expanding their circle of influence. Popular posters are no longer just promoting pretty clothes and cosmetics. With ads for everything from pet-cloning to contraceptive devices, they\u2019re selling science \u2014 and possibly wading into murky legal territory. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Dogshots01-copy.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Tinkerbelle The Dog\" class=\"wp-image-20966556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Dogshots01-copy.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Dogshots01-copy.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Dogshots01-copy.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>On Tinkerbelle The Dog\u2019s popular Instagram account, an ad for pet-cloning service ViaGen was posted.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Tinkerbelle The Dog<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stealth_advice\"><\/span>Stealth advice?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Rutgers Law professor Ellen P. Goodman noted that ads from social media influencers, like traditional advertisements, are overseen by the Federal Trade Commission when they make claims about food, over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements, alcohol, tobacco and gadgets that affect consumers\u2019 health and finances.\u00a0The FTC dictates that such ads must be truthful, not misleading and, when <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriate, backed by scientific evidence.<\/p>\n<p>And, Goodman added, a company could be in violation of the FTC\u2019s consumer protection laws if \u201ctheir endorsers fail to clearly state that they\u2019ve been paid or compensated to advertise an item, if it can be proven that the endorser is deceptively promoting a device that they don\u2019t have any experience with or if the product has not been approved by the Federal Drug Administration.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The Owlet Smart Sock, a $299 wearable gadget that purportedly tracks an infant\u2019s heart rate and blood oxygen levels, was promoted on social media by Ali Fedotowsky, a veteran \u201cBachelor\u201d star, and Connie Simpson, celebrity nanny to the likes of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. <\/p>\n<p>Such notables touted the gadget as being a helpful tool for letting parents rest in peace, but Owlet was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations\/warning-letters\/owlet-baby-care-inc-616354-10052021\">forced to discontinue the device<\/a> in October 2021 after the FDA issued a stern warning letter noting that the product\u2019s ability to determine a baby\u2019s medical condition needed to be properly approved before being marketed in the US.<\/p>\n<p>Owlet debuted a new version of the Smart Sock this month that does not include the blood oxygen monitoring feature that the FDA took issue with. The company also tapped a fresh cadre of momfluencers to promote it. Owlet did not immediately respond to The Post\u2019s request for a comment, but in a public statement the company said, \u201cWe plan to work toward the submission of a device application to FDA. We met with the FDA recently to reiterate our commitment to these efforts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/laurenwirkus_272640551_643640993543593_687268165357847193_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=819\" alt=\"\u201cSummer House\u201d alum Lauren Wirkus\" class=\"wp-image-20966869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/laurenwirkus_272640551_643640993543593_687268165357847193_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1638 1638w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/laurenwirkus_272640551_643640993543593_687268165357847193_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1229 1228w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/laurenwirkus_272640551_643640993543593_687268165357847193_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=819 819w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/laurenwirkus_272640551_643640993543593_687268165357847193_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=410 409w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/laurenwirkus_272640551_643640993543593_687268165357847193_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\"\/><figcaption>\u201cSummer House\u201d alum Lauren Wirkus has promoted Bloomlife\u2019s contraceptive thermometer and digital app.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Lauren Wirkus Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Questionable_language\"><\/span>Questionable language<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Other influencer ads for health devices have come under fire. <\/p>\n<p>Bloomlife Pregnancy Tracker \u2014 a wearable device that can save expecting mothers an early <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> to the hospital by tracking their contractions \u2014 is not FDA approved, but one of its endorsers has billed it as \u201cthe world\u2019s first <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/the.owen.life\/p\/BrQNVbzgB6J\/?utm_medium=copy_link\">clinically validated<\/a> wearable contraction monitor.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Some in the media have worried that such claims could be misunderstood as the FDA\u2019s stamp of approval by an unwitting consumer. Bloomlife, however, insists that its Pregnancy Tracker is \u201cnot a medical device,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomlife.com\/frequently-asked-questions\/\">per its Web site<\/a>, while noting it \u201cintend[s]  to submit for FDA clearance in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, even companies given the green light by the feds have been called out for giving a less-than-clear picture of products marketed through social media.<\/p>\n<p>Approved by the FDA in 2018, Natural Cycles has secured the reality television likes of \u201cVanderpump Rules\u201d star Lala Kent and \u201cSummer House\u201d alum Lauren Wirkus to plug its contraceptive thermometer and digital app, which helps users track fertile days based on basal body temperature. <\/p>\n<p>The device received FDA approval in 2018, but OB-GYN Katherine Varda Schwab recently advised that the wording in some of Natural Cycle\u2019s influencer endorsements <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5933696\/bachelor-natural-cycles-fertility-app\/\">create an \u201cincomplete\u201d picture<\/a> about the precise timing and body positioning needed to obtain accurate temperatures for fertility tracking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/pete_eatss_244061795_294981678815940_5861827116634281275_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=819\" alt=\"Pete Duong\" class=\"wp-image-20967036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/pete_eatss_244061795_294981678815940_5861827116634281275_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1638 1638w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/pete_eatss_244061795_294981678815940_5861827116634281275_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1229 1228w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/pete_eatss_244061795_294981678815940_5861827116634281275_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=819 819w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/pete_eatss_244061795_294981678815940_5861827116634281275_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=410 409w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/pete_eatss_244061795_294981678815940_5861827116634281275_n.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\"\/><figcaption>In October, Johnson &amp; Johnson hired at-home chef Peter Duong as a paid partner in its #PEPCIDComfort campaign.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Pete Duong Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Well-received_content\"><\/span>\u2018Well-received\u2019 content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Social media mavens, meanwhile, defend the practice of promoting health products.<\/p>\n<p>In October, Johnson &amp; Johnson hired at-home chef Peter Duong as a paid partner in its #PEPCIDComfort campaign. Duong thumbs-upped the heartburn-relief tablets to his combined 515,000 Instagram and TikTok followers, and says he doesn\u2019t see any potential issues endorsing over-the-counter drugs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy content is usually well received by my supporters, and I wouldn\u2019t necessarily speak on a product if I have not tried it myself or like using it,\u201d Duong told The Post. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat people aren\u2019t aware of is that there is a misconception that creators get paid loads of money\u201d to post advertisements, he said, noting that he had been paid a \u201cfew hundred\u201d bucks for the ad. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are no guarantees when it comes to deals or a set dollar amount. It\u2019s all based on whether if people like your content.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tinkerbelle\u2019s owner also similarly stood by her pooch\u2019s partnership with ViaGen.<\/p>\n<p>Said Carrell: \u201cTinkerbelle is an established\u00a0actor as well as social media celebrity\u00a0and her followers loved this unique idea.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/01\/25\/rx-for-clicks-the-shady-science-of-instagram-influencers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#The shady science of Instagram influencers&#8221; Manhattan-based influencer Tinkerbelle the Dog could live forever \u2014 at least that\u2019s what her social media ad for pet-cloning service ViaGen might suggest.\u00a0 \u201cI am a one of a kind pup. That\u2019s why my human chose to preserve my dna with\u00a0@viagenpetsandequine\u00a0genetic preservation\u2026 #sponsored,\u201d the popular papillon-Maltese mix notes on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":399284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/influencer.gif?w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[124795,70784,73864,33423,47912,73313,71285],"class_list":["post-399283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-1-25-22","tag-advertising","tag-digital-advertisements","tag-instagram","tag-tiktok","tag-viral","tag-viral-videos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=399283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399283\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/399284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=399283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=399283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=399283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}