The US Federal Trade Commission has long regulated commercial content and advertisement in mass media and, in recent years, social media and blogs.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration has been forced to jump into the regulation of social media business thanks to second time mom-to-be Kim Kardashian.
The reality TV star Instagrammed a “commercial” for Diclegis, a morning sickness medicine without disclosing all of the side effects, even though she did indicate she was paid.
With 43.5 million followers on that social media platform alone, the Keeping up With the Kardashian reality TV star had the ear of millions of women, many who had “liked” the post.
With only a small square of space to work with and a comment section, Kardashian did not have room (or forgot) to mention some of the required side effect disclosures of the drug like increased drowsiness and effect from interactions with alcohol, excitement, irritability and sedation in infants who breastfeed from women taking the drug and most importantly that the drug had never been tested for use with hyperemesis gravidarum, the most severe form of morning sickness.
Faced with “FDA regulatory action, including seizure or injunction, without further notice,” Kardashian has since deleted the post, though not before it gained 434,000 likes, endadget reported.