Filenews 18 February 2026
Influencers are at the center of the control mechanisms, the Consumer Protection Service (CPS) and the Advertising Control Body (FED) announced on Tuesday, in the context of a press conference. As stated in a press release, influencers will be screened for promoting products or services for remuneration or other benefits, as part of the European Commission's new consumer agenda.
"In a digital environment where advertising is integrated into the content of social networks, the need for a clear distinction between personal opinion and marketing becomes more imperative than ever," the CPS and FED underline, stating that dozens of influencers and thousands of posts have already been checked, while a fine has been issued and warnings have been issued in 20 cases.
In particular, they state that the omission of clear disclosure or the presentation of commercial content as a spontaneous personal experience by influencers may constitute a misleading commercial practice. For the implementation of the supervision of influencers, the PSU cooperates with the FED, on the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding and Contract signed between them in January 2025.
It is noted that, since the beginning of 2025, the CPS, in cooperation with the FED, has proceeded with targeted audits of influencers' accounts on social media platforms. The CPS carried out a first round of investigations into accounts with high visibility, 14 warning letters were forwarded and an administrative decision was issued for the imposition of a fine. In a second round of audits, with a focus on accounts with a significant impact on young people aged 18-25, six warning letters were forwarded.
For its part, the FED states that it covered almost 4000 posts for over 30 Influencers, as part of an audit in 2025, while it carried out an information campaign to advertising and advertised businesses and influencers. The audits continue, in the context of the cooperation between the two bodies.
The Director of the CPS, Konstantinos Karagiorgis, said that the service places special emphasis on prevention, by cultivating a culture of compliance, through information actions and guidance to influencers and businesses. On behalf of the FED, the President, Sotiroulla Sotiriou, stated that the strategic cooperation between the POS and the FED is an ideal model of cooperation between the public and private sectors, which is sustainable and offers significant strategic benefits to both sides.
