Beauty Fans Push Back Against Undisclosed Ads as TikTok Influencer Stealth Marketing Callouts Surge

Beauty fans are increasingly scrutinising TikTok influencers over how they disclose paid promotions. A recent discussion on Reddit has shown growing frustration over content that users believe does not make commercial relationships clear

A post on Reddit’s BeautyGuruChatter community, titled ‘Sick of the undisclosed ads’ attracted more than 200 votes after users discussed an influencer’s beauty content. The post also reported that most influencers content did not properly disclose its commercial nature

Sick of the undisclosed ads by
u/Familiar_Revenue4833 in
BeautyGuruChatter

Is It a Paid Ad?

The discussion reflects a wider issue facing beauty creators as advertising blends into social media recommendations. Influencers often publish product reviews, tutorials, routines and demonstrations in the same format as sponsored material. Doing so makes it difficult for viewers to distinguish between independent recommendations and advertising

One documented UK case involved beauty influencer Erim Kaur. In September 2024, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint concerning an Instagram Story posted by Kaur in November 2023. The Story promoted ‘4 long-lasting perfumes for Broke Girlies’ and included a link directing users to her LTK shop

Having to advertise it’s not sponsored… by
u/eyelovestories in
BeautyGuruChatter

The ASA found that Kaur could receive commission when consumers bought products through the affiliate links. Although the LTK page contained a ‘Paid links’ notice, that disclosure only appeared after users clicked through from the Instagram Story

The regulator concluded that this was not sufficient because consumers had to interact with the content before learning about the commercial relationship. The ASA said the Story should have contained a clear and prominent identifier such as ‘Ad’ from the outset. The ruling was made against THG Beauty Ltd, The Fragrance Shop and Kaur, and the parties were instructed to ensure future advertising was clearly identifiable.

Kaur told the ASA that she took its guidance seriously and was diligent about disclosing paid collaborations and gifted products. She apologised for failing to disclose the affiliate links in the post and said they were removed immediately

The Advertising Standards Authority

UK advertising rules require influencer marketing to be clearly identifiable when there is a commercial relationship. The ASA says influencer content can fall within advertising rules when a brand provides payment or another incentive, or where an influencer has another relevant commercial or personal connection to the brand

The ASA’s latest guidance, updated in August 2026, states that influencer advertising should generally carry a prominent ‘Ad’ label upfront. The regulator says audiences should be able to recognise immediately that content is advertising without having to click, expand a caption or rely on prior knowledge of the influencer

The issue is not limited to TikTok. Instagram, YouTube and other social platforms also host influencer advertising, with disclosure requirements applying according to the nature of the content and the relationship between the creator and brand

Research published by the ASA in February found that around eight in 10 people in the UK wanted influencer advertising to be clearly labelled upfront. The research also found that influencer adverts were harder for audiences to identify than conventional social media adverts, with some paid posts mistaken for ordinary content

Separate ASA monitoring of more than 50,000 pieces of Instagram and TikTok content found that approximately 57 per cent of influencer advertisements analysed complied with disclosure rules. A further nine per cent attempted to disclose their commercial status but used language that did not make the advertising relationship sufficiently clear, while 34 per cent contained no disclosure

Why is that influencers always recommend or are doing an ad of skincare put a whole filter on their skin as if we can truly see how the product performs? 🙄 by
u/Darlingjaeexo in
BeautyGuruChatter

Transparency Requirements

US creators face similar transparency requirements. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says influencers should disclose material connections with brands, including financial relationships and free or discounted products. The FTC advises that disclosures should be difficult to miss and placed alongside the endorsement rather than hidden on a profile page or behind a ‘more’ button

TikTok also requires creators promoting a brand, product or service to use its commercial content disclosure setting. The platform says its system is intended to distinguish commercial content from organic posts, while noting that legal requirements vary between countries

The Reddit discussion illustrates an important distinction between questioning disclosure and proving an advertising violation. Users can flag content they believe is inadequately labelled, but a social media accusation alone does not establish that an influencer received payment or another material benefit

As influencer marketing becomes increasingly integrated into beauty content, the debate is shifting from whether creators can promote products to whether audiences can clearly recognise when they are being advertised to. The central requirement remains straightforward for regulators, brands and influencers: commercial content must be identifiable as advertising

Source: www.fashiontimes.co.uk