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Influencer marketing is everywhere and unavoidable for anyone on social media due to the high volume of content and boundless creativity of social media influencers. Between March and September 2025, 14 BEUC consumer organisations from 12 countries monitored about 650 posts and videos of social media influencers on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Although influencer marketing is present in nearly all sectors, this evidence-gathering focused on posts and videos promoting unhealthy food advertising and fast fashion as they are sectors where consumers are likely to be particularly at risks. Evidence confirms the widespread use of hidden advertising practices and how influencers appeal to emotions to shape consumers’ preferences. It also shows how brands use influencer marketing to give a positive spin to their reputation in the eyes of consumers, in particular the youngest ones.
As we identified in 2023, current EU law is only partially able to tackle the problems posed by influencer marketing and needs to be updated.1 It must clarify the responsibilities of the different actors operating in the influencer marketing environment - from influencers and their agencies to brands and online platforms. This report provides additional evidence supporting ongoing policy discussions at EU and national level. This is particularly the case for the EU Digital Fairness Act and the evaluation of the Audiovisual Services Media Directive, both expected in 2026.
Although influencer marketing is present in nearly all sectors, this evidence-gathering focused on posts and videos promoting unhealthy food advertising and fast fashion as they are sectors where consumers are likely to be particularly at risks. Evidence confirms the widespread use of hidden advertising practices and how influencers appeal to emotions to shape consumers’ preferences. It also shows how brands use influencer marketing to give a positive spin to their reputation in the eyes of consumers, in particular the youngest ones.
As we identified in 2023, current EU law is only partially able to tackle the problems posed by influencer marketing and needs to be updated.1 It must clarify the responsibilities of the different actors operating in the influencer marketing environment - from influencers and their agencies to brands and online platforms. This report provides additional evidence supporting ongoing policy discussions at EU and national level. This is particularly the case for the EU Digital Fairness Act and the evaluation of the Audiovisual Services Media Directive, both expected in 2026.
Press release
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English
Evidence from posts of social media influencers gathered by consumer groups around Europe confirms widespread hidden advertising and appeal to emotions to shape consumers’ preferences and behaviour, in particular among the youngest ones. The European Consumer Organisation BEUC and its members call on the EU to urgently rein in influencer marketing by updating EU law. The EU must prevent influencers from promoting unhealthy foods to protect the health of young generations. This is particularly worrying at a time when one in three children in Europe live with overweight or obesity.
Press release
BEUC welcomes the EU court's decision to uphold Amazon's designation as a Very Large Online Platform
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BEUC welcomes today’s General Court's ruling upholding the designation of Amazon as a ‘Very Large Online Platform’ (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). BEUC had intervened in the case alongside the European Commission to defend the European consumer views.
Tools
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The European Union boasts some of the world’s highest consumer protection standards. Its rules grant consumers legal rights and impose obligations on traders operating in the EU. Yet enforcement has long been a weak spot.
Insufficient enforcement allows traders’ harmful practices to go unpunished and leaves consumers without redress. As BEUC and business representatives have noted, this undermines EU competitiveness and creates an uneven playing field between compliant traders and those who ignore the rules.
Challenges to Enforcement
Enforcement faces growing challenges. A widening gap in power and resources separates large traders from enforcement authorities, which often operate under tight budgets and limited staffing. In the digital space, violations can occur rapidly and invisibly, allowing traders to profit before authorities can respond ─ sometimes years later.
BEUC calls for modernising consumer protection enforcement. While private enforcement improvements are addressed in a separate checklist, this document focuses on upgrading public enforcement, particularly through reforming EU Regulation 2017/2394 (the CPC Regulation).
Insufficient enforcement allows traders’ harmful practices to go unpunished and leaves consumers without redress. As BEUC and business representatives have noted, this undermines EU competitiveness and creates an uneven playing field between compliant traders and those who ignore the rules.
Challenges to Enforcement
Enforcement faces growing challenges. A widening gap in power and resources separates large traders from enforcement authorities, which often operate under tight budgets and limited staffing. In the digital space, violations can occur rapidly and invisibly, allowing traders to profit before authorities can respond ─ sometimes years later.
BEUC calls for modernising consumer protection enforcement. While private enforcement improvements are addressed in a separate checklist, this document focuses on upgrading public enforcement, particularly through reforming EU Regulation 2017/2394 (the CPC Regulation).
Press release
Available in
English
Following a complaint by BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, 21 major airlines have committed to stop using claims that mislead consumers about the real impact of flying on the environment. This was announced by the European Commission today, concluding a 1.5-year investigation by national consumer authorities.
BEUC launched the action in June 2023 with 23 of its member organisations and kept monitoring the market since then. An evaluation two years on, in June 2025, showed that airlines’ greenwashing was still rife despite some improvements
BEUC launched the action in June 2023 with 23 of its member organisations and kept monitoring the market since then. An evaluation two years on, in June 2025, showed that airlines’ greenwashing was still rife despite some improvements
Tools
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English
Only a few consumers go to court when they have suffered from illegal commercial practice, as they expect the
proceedings to be lengthy and risky. The 2020 EU Representative Actions Directive (RAD) was a breakthrough to
help consumers go to court together. It requires all EU countries to have at least one collective redress mechanism
for consumers.
Despite some Member States being late transposing the Directive (as of October 2025, Bulgaria and Spain were
still to do it), consumer organisations have started using this new tool to seek compensation for groups of
consumers. Several BEUC members can do so as ‘qualified entities’, as well as BEUC itself.
Yet rolling out the Directive at national level is only a first step. This checklist sets out five key areas that EU and
national policymakers need to tackle for collective redress to be effective.
proceedings to be lengthy and risky. The 2020 EU Representative Actions Directive (RAD) was a breakthrough to
help consumers go to court together. It requires all EU countries to have at least one collective redress mechanism
for consumers.
Despite some Member States being late transposing the Directive (as of October 2025, Bulgaria and Spain were
still to do it), consumer organisations have started using this new tool to seek compensation for groups of
consumers. Several BEUC members can do so as ‘qualified entities’, as well as BEUC itself.
Yet rolling out the Directive at national level is only a first step. This checklist sets out five key areas that EU and
national policymakers need to tackle for collective redress to be effective.
Position paper
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English
This paper shows how the EU private international law, which is not adapted to cross-border representative actions, has in fact become a barrier to such actions. We suggest several solutions to make mass claims more manageable both for claimant organisations and the courts.