Japan to crack down on social media stealth marketing from Oct.

Japan will regulate from Oct. 1 stealth marketing in which influencers or others are paid to push products and services to their followers without disclosing a financial interest, the government said Tuesday.

The Consumer Affairs Agency added stealth marketing within the definition of “improper representation,” an activity banned under the law against unjustifiable premiums and misleading representations.

At present, there is no legal provision in Japan that directly addresses stealth marketing. With this change, companies will be warned, named and shamed, and possibly more if found to be in b...