The FTC says 'sp', 'spon' and 'collab' are not clear disclosures; '#ad', 'ad' or 'sponsored' are
Verified Confidence: high
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
- Commonly cited as
- "#sp or #collab is enough to disclose a paid post" (false)
- True origin
- Federal Trade Commission — Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers (Nov. 2019)
- Type
- Reference fact: A frequently needed number or rule taken directly from a primary source (e.g. Pew, Census, IAB/PwC, FTC), with its as-of date.
- Year
- 2019
- Data as of
- FTC staff brochure (Nov. 2019)
- Last checked
- What the source says
So are terms like "advertisement," "ad," and "sponsored." ... Don't use vague or confusing terms like "sp," "spon," or "collab," or stand-alone terms like "thanks" or "ambassador,"
- Method & sample
- FTC staff guidance brochure.
- Drift between quote and source
- None — also: don't bury the disclosure in a group of hashtags or behind 'more'
- Interest
- n/a (federal regulator).
Safe rephrasing
FTC staff guidance says to use clear words like 'ad', 'advertisement' or 'sponsored' with the post, and to avoid vague tags such as 'sp', 'spon' or 'collab'.
Sources we opened
Machine-readable: /api/claims/ftc-sp-spon-collab-not-clear-disclosures.json · Last checked 2026-10-16