Do You Know How Many Followers I Have? The Problem with Influence
Influencers have become the new gatekeepers of taste. A single post can send a small café into viral stardom—or bury it under a flood of one-star reviews. That’s power. But power without accountability can get messy.
We’ve all seen the stories: influencers walking into restaurants or hotels, hinting not-so-subtly that their “exposure” should be payment enough. Sometimes it’s worded politely—other times it’s closer to extortion: “Do you know how many followers I have?” The message is simple—please me, or risk being fed to my audience.
Here’s the problem: The influencer market lacks significant regulation.
In the U.S., the FTC only requires influencers to disclose sponsorships with a simple ad. That’s about transparency, not abuse of power.
Canada and the U.K. have similar disclosure rules, but again, they don’t cover situations where influence tips into coercion.
France is leading the way with strict laws that fine or even jail influencers for deceptive practices. Italy recently passed the “Ferragni Law,” cracking down on influencer misuse in charity campaigns.
For child influencers, the protections are even weaker. In most places, kids can earn millions online without a legal guarantee that the money belongs to them.
So yes, there are rules—but mostly about labeling ads. Not about the darker side of influence: when a following becomes a weapon.
Maybe it’s time to treat influencer marketing more like journalism or advertising—industries that carry responsibility, not just reach. Those “followers” aren’t abstract numbers on a dashboard—they’re people, each with trust that can be nurtured or manipulated.
Until then, every time I hear, “Do you know how many followers I have?” I can’t help but think: Yes. And do you know the responsibility that should come with it?
