FTC disclosure

What FTC disclosure means

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission requires that when there is a "material connection" between a brand and someone endorsing it — payment, free product, a commission, an ambassador deal, even a family tie — that connection be disclosed to the audience. The point is simple: people weigh a recommendation differently once they know it is sponsored, so the sponsorship cannot be hidden.

A valid disclosure is clear and conspicuous: in plain language ("#ad", "Paid partnership with [brand]"), hard to miss, and in the same medium as the claim. In a video that means both on-screen text and a spoken callout; in a caption it means the first line or two, not buried behind "more" or lost in a wall of hashtags.

Why it slips

Disclosure is usually left to the creator in the moment, and the easy shortcuts all fail the standard: a vague "sp" or "collab", a platform's built-in "Paid partnership" label used instead of a disclosure rather than in addition to it, or a "#ad" dropped at the end of thirty hashtags. When a brand briefs dozens of creators with a PDF nobody rereads, some posts go out non-compliant — and the FTC puts the obligation on the brand as much as the creator.

The PopScript angle

PopScript turns disclosure rules into a short certified brief each creator completes and signs off before they post, so the required wording and placement are understood — not guessed. Start from the free FTC-compliant influencer brief template, then see how certifying everyone who represents your brand works.