Make advertising, affiliate relationships and gifted products recognisable using AGCOM's format-specific guidance.
Promotion must be recognisable without asking the audience to search for clues. Money, products, invitations and affiliate codes can create different relationships: clarify the benefit and purpose before publishing.
AGCOM's 2026 operational FAQs give practical examples for posts, videos, stories and live streams. They explain that individual cases remain subject to assessment and that specific duties for relevant influencers do not exhaust other applicable rules. Check the current version and platform rules.
Check before publication
- Relationship: Is there payment, a product, invitation or other benefit linked to visibility?
- Format: Will the audience see a post, video, multiple stories or live stream?
- Disclosure: Is the promotional nature immediately clear and visible?
- Brand: Is the relevant party identifiable where required?
- Final version: Is the wording readable on small screens and unobscured by controls?
According to AGCOM's FAQs, tagging a brand or adding a code is not enough for promotional content. A textual disclosure such as “Pubblicità” must be immediately clear and visible; platform tools can help but do not alone replace the required text in the situations described.
Videos, stories and gifts
For videos the FAQs indicate a disclosure in the opening scenes and description. For promotional stories, the disclosure should be readable on each relevant story or clip. Check the original guidance for live streams, reposts and special cases instead of copying a solution intended for another format.
Gifted products and invitations are not always equivalent to a commissioned campaign. AGCOM distinguishes wording and sets specific conditions for possible exceptions. Record who sent the product, whether there is a collaboration and whether the brand can reuse the content; compare the case with the FAQs.
Follower count is not a shortcut
The FAQs describe thresholds and procedures for the relevant-influencer register. Being below a threshold does not permit opaque commercial communication or ignoring other rules. If unsure how to classify an assignment, clarify terms with the commissioner and seek competent advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is a brand tag alone enough? No. AGCOM calls for a clear, immediately visible disclosure in the promotional situations it describes.
Is a gift always treated as an advertising contract? Not necessarily. The FAQs distinguish gifted products, promotional relationships and specific exceptions; check your circumstances.