In a historic move, the Indian government has taken steps to protect consumers from being misled by false advertising on social media platforms. The new guidelines, released this week, are designed to make sure that social media promotions are not misleading or deceptive in nature. This effort marks an important milestone for consumer protection in India and is likely to have an impact beyond its borders. It will be interesting to see how these guidelines are implemented and enforced across various social media platforms operating in India.

The online world has become a major hub for promotional activities, with companies using various platforms to reach potential customers. India is taking the initiative in curbing and controlling misleading promotions on social media, introducing new guidelines that will take effect from October 15th.

The guidelines outline five principles that are designed to ensure digital advertisements are fair and not misleading: authors must be clearly identified; offers should be legal and verifiable; figures must be accurate; testimonials should reflect user experience; and finally, ads should respect consumer privacy. The guidelines also state that all promotional activities must comply with Indian advertising industry codes of conduct.

By taking steps such as these, India hopes to create a safer digital environment for its citizens by protecting them from false claims or deceptive marketing tactics.

The guidelines, which came into effect immediately, require all online content featuring endorsements or product placements to be clearly identified as such. They also stipulate that any influencer marketing campaigns must make clear whether the influencers have been paid for their endorsement.
The move is part of a broader effort by India to protect consumers from deceptive advertising practices and ensure ethical standards in the digital space. According to information minister Prakash Javadekar, the main aim is “to bring in transparency and honesty” in an increasingly digital-driven world. He added that these rules should not be seen as censorship but rather as necessary measures for consumer protection.