Written by: Matias | Social Media News
Published: May 28, 2025, at 11:00 p.m.
Image: KKV Logo
The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority’s (KKV) stricter guidelines on labeling influencer marketing on social media have caused quite a stir. Although the guidelines are intended to make advertising more recognizable to consumers, many Finnish YouTubers and influencers feel the rules have gone too far and restrict creativity. What exactly happened, and why are the stars of Suomitube frustrated?
What changed, and why?
The KKV’s goal is commendable: to protect consumers and ensure that commercial content is immediately recognizable. This is particularly important for children and young people, who may not be able to distinguish between advertisements and regular content. Although the KKV’s updated guidelines were published on May 21, 2025, the lively debate and reactions they have sparked have come to the fore especially in recent weeks.
These stricter guidelines require more stringent and more visible labeling:
• Continuous visibility: The advertising label must be present throughout the entire duration of the ad content. On YouTube, for example, this means a text banner visible in the upper corner of the video that does not disappear from the screen. A mere verbal mention or text at the beginning of the description is no longer sufficient.
• Unambiguous terms: Vague hashtag labels such as #collaboration or #sponsored are prohibited. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) wants to see clear statements such as “Advertisement [Company Name]” or “Commercial collaboration [Company Name].”
•PR products are also considered advertisements: Products or services received for free or at a discounted price that an influencer receives for promotional purposes must also be labeled as advertisements. In particular, there have been clarifications regarding the labeling of PR samples, according to which the advertising purpose must be evident from the label (e.g., “Received for advertising purposes”).
These stricter rules have raised questions, as they profoundly change long-established practices.
Led by Suomitube’s spokesperson Roni Back—“Something’s definitely gone a bit wrong here”
One of Suomitube’s most influential content creators, Roni Back, has emerged as Suomitube’s “spokesperson” in this debate. He reacted quickly and strongly to the KKV’s guidelines:
• An Instagram video sparked the debate: Just about five days ago, Roni posted a video on his Instagram account expressing his concerns about the new requirements. This video garnered a huge amount of attention and comments.
• A united front: Many other popular faces and content creators on Suomitube quickly echoed Roni Back’s message. The comments and their own posts echoed the same sentiment: the rules have now “gone a bit off track” and are making responsible influencer marketing unnecessarily challenging.
• A Deeper Analysis on Roni Back Plus: Roni didn’t stop at just an Instagram update; he also published a longer, more analytical video on the topic on his own Roni Back Plus channel. In it, he broke down the guidelines in more detail, discussed their implications, and explained how they might change the day-to-day reality of content creation.
Influencers’ frustration stems from several reasons:
• Increased workload: Creating new, more specific disclosures and ensuring they’re present throughout the entire video takes time and resources.
• Restrictions on creativity: Many feel that strict rules can force advertising disclosures to be so intrusive that they disrupt the flow of the content and infringe on the influencer’s artistic freedom.
• Ambiguity and interpretation issues: Although the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) strives for clarity, some points have still caused uncertainty and made it difficult to determine how the rules should be interpreted in practice across different content formats.•
• Concerns about revenue streams: If advertising becomes more difficult or less appealing, companies may shy away from influencer marketing in Finland, which would undermine YouTubers’ earning potential.
What’s next? Roni Back Collaborates with the KKV
The silver lining in this storm is that Roni Back has taken an active role and begun collaborating with the KKV. The goal of this collaboration is to find a more balanced solution. YouTubers and the KKV plan to discuss the rules together and develop more effective practices for labeling advertising.
The goal is to find ways that both ensure consumer protection and allow influencers to operate without unreasonable restrictions. It will be exciting to see how this dialogue progresses and how it shapes the future of Suomitube.