British influencers are accused by organizations fighting against abuses in online betting and against unauthorized cosmetic surgery practices of promoting these products on Instagram, especially among adolescents, reports The Times.
“Dangerous and irresponsible.” UK online gambling vigilance bodies and cosmetic surgery regulators are attacking Instagrammers, written The Times, this Monday May 31.
Several names come out of the hat: Belle Hassan, Kendall Rae Knight, Callum Jones and Katie Franklin. Most are known for appearing on the reality show Love Island (a French version of which has been in existence since March 2020), and are followed by several million people on Instagram, mostly “Adolescents”.
“Incredibly irresponsible” behavior
As the newspaper worries, these celebrities encourage, via publications, to follow accounts promoting betting, unauthorized treatments for lip enlargement or cosmetic surgery. In all, there are 75 accounts, “Which change regularly”, and which highlight clinics “That do not belong to UK register of licensed practitioners” or sites encouraging betting.
Behaviors “Incredibly irresponsible” according to Ashton Collins, who works for the watchdog Save Face. By encouraging people to follow these accounts, these celebrities are in a way giving them their backing. They benefit from an influenceable audience and, in addition, make a lot of money thanks to it – according to sources of the Times, the amount per post could amount to 3,000 pounds (3,489 euros). A review shared by Jim Orford, professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham and founder of the site Gambling Watch UK.
This series of promotions uses the technique of “Loop giveaway”, or contest, popularized by celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Kylie Jenner. Its principle: an influencer is paid to encourage his fans to follow a promotional page. This allows the page to strengthen its audience, the influencer to earn money. As for the fans, they are promised that once subscribed, some will be drawn and receive a valuable gift, such as luxury handbags or smartphones.
If the influencers concerned have not responded to the Times, the Instagram company said it would take action if this kind of post actually affected minors.
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The oldest of the British dailies (1785) and the best known abroad has been owned since 1981 by Rupert Murdoch. He has long been the benchmark newspaper and the voice of the establishment. Today, it has lost some of its influence and
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