Imagine your physician walks into the exam room, recommends a prescription medication, and casually mentions she’s being paid by the company that makes the drug to say so. You’d probably have questions. You might even find a new doctor. 

Now imagine that same scenario playing out on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube — except the advice is coming from a celebrity “influencer” who’s very familiar to you, who has an emotional backstory, and a financial arrangement buried somewhere in a sea of hashtags. Millions of people encounter exactly this situation every day, and most of them have no idea it’s happening.