Flemish Minister of Youth and Media Benjamin Dalle (CD&V) argues that influencers should not share their home address on social media. He wrote a letter about this to the Federal Secretary of State for Consumer Protection Eva De Bleeker (Open Vld).
Several influencers have recently received a warning from the Federal Public Service Economy. He pointed out to them that they should mention their address and a company number on their social media profiles.
After all, this has been mandatory for a number of months for everyone who advertises online and is paid for it. If you fail to do so, you risk a fine of up to 80,000 euros. The new regulations are the result of a European directive. Several influencers, including Average Rob and YouTuber Acid, sounded the alarm this weekend.
Minister Dalle says in the letter to State Secretary De Bleeker (Open Vld) that obliging influencers to report their address on all their channels “seems to be at odds with respect for their private lives”.
The CD&V member points out that it often concerns famous people with many digital followers and fans “some of whom like to visit their idol’s hometown uninvited”. “It also gives people with bad intentions easy access to the home address of the famous person they follow on social media.”
“I would therefore request that you reconsider this view in a way that takes due account of respect for the private lives of influencers and content creators. In particular, I would like to request that physical addresses are not required to be shared through their social media channels.”
Dalle informs State Secretary De Bleeker that he is available for consultation.
Reaction De Bleeker
State Secretary De Bleeker announced on Monday that she shares the concerns of Acid and his colleagues. “It cannot be the intention that anyone, and in the worst case someone with less good intentions, will approach influencers personally. We must therefore look for a solution that is a compromise between that privacy aspect and the mandatory traceability for consumers,” says the Open VLD politician.
De Bleeker adds that she has been in discussions with influencers for several weeks about the challenges in the regulatory framework. To find a solution. In this way, she hopes to come up with a solution in the short term that is “efficient, clear and workable”, according to De Bleeker.
Groen co-chairman Vaneeckhout: “Don’t set the threshold dangerously low”
The co-chairman of Groen Jeremie Vaneeckhout also responded to Acid’s tweet that caused a fuss. According to the politician, it should be possible for influencers to use an email address instead of a private address. “Certainly given the nature of the activity, we cannot set the threshold dangerously low,” says Vaneeckhout.
Jeremie Vaneeckhout
@JeremieVaneeckh
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