Answer the question: What type of label is not valid on social networks to indicate advertising content in Spain? Go a little further. Can the advertising nature be indicated at the end of the text or comment accompanying a publication? For those who operate in the so-called “influhabitat”, the answer should be obvious. The #ad and #colab tags are not valid on their own in our country and, no, it is not enough to warn of the advertising nature at the end of the message. The identification must be placed at the beginning and in a clear and visible way, so that the user understands from the first moment that what is told in a reel, a story or any other format is advertising.
To some readers, all this may sound Chinese. However, The regulation that has been imposed for approximately a couple of years to bring order to a until recently diffuse sector has forced these advertising boys and girls to get their act together. The objective: comply with legal standards, avoid sanctions and not take a gamble while the zeros skyrocket in your checking accounts.
How many “influs” are there in Spain?
Let’s put the matter in context. Since the Government approved Royal Decree 444/2024 on April 30, 2024, known as the Influencers Law, which regulates various aspects of this virtual market, advertising has become the main focus of control. This regulation establishes the requirements to be considered a user of special relevance in video sharing services through platforms, marking a before and after in the professionalization of the sector. According to the estimate made by Kolsquare, a European platform specialized in the management of influencer marketing campaigns, Spain ranks as the fifth market by volume, with a total of 153,397 creators who meet the criteria of activity, relevance and local audience: 102,575 on Instagram and 50,822 on TikTok. Our country is positioned behind Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, but ahead of Poland, the Netherlands and Portugal.
However, the data vary due to the absence of a single and homogeneous registry. According to the report “Influencer Economy: unfiltered market data”, it is estimated that In Spain there are about 235,000 content creators, although the consulting firm Laps4 specifies that only 12,000 exceed 100,000 followers and barely 1,100 reach one million.
In the midst of this dance of figures, initiatives have emerged such as Autocontrol, which issues the Basic Training Certificate on Advertising Regulations for Influencers. More than 4,200 Spanish creators have already passed this exam, placing our country at the European forefront in advertising regulation and digital marketing.
This is how he explains it in an interview given to LA RAZÓN Charo Fernando Magarzo, deputy general director of Autocontrol: “These data place Spain as the European country with the largest number of influencers certified within the AdEthics program, an initiative promoted by the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) to promote training and self-regulation in influencer marketing in Europe, and within the framework of which Autocontrol has developed this certificate in Spain.”
Furthermore, he highlights the international interest that this initiative has aroused: «The development of this program in our country is generating great interest at an international level. We have held work sessions with organizations from countries such as the United States, India, Italy and Ireland, interested in learning about this model with a view to its possible implementation.Thus, Spanish influencers seem to have become, overnight, a European benchmark in terms of transparency and self-regulation.
How much does it cost?
But what does this certificate consist of? What is the exam like? To answer these questions, we access the Self-control course. This is an online self-learning training, lasting approximately three hours and a cost of 25 euros, intended to cover the costs of development, updating and maintenance of the program. The course consists of five modules and offers content through animated videos, practical examples, interactive exercises and games designed to facilitate understanding of the standards.
«To obtain certification it is necessary pass a multiple choice exam of 20 questionswith two opportunities. Once approved, the influencer becomes part of a public list of certified influencers,” details Fernando Magarzo.
Content creator Sara Gutiérrez, known as SaraGuchi_ on social networks and with more than half a million followers on Instagram, explains her experience to LA RAZÓN: «I did it because, by having a certain volume of followers, we are within a more regulated framework. It’s not that you need it to be an influencer, but if you do paid collaborations and exceed certain requirements, it is mandatory to comply with the regulations. “The course is a way to make sure you have a good understanding of how to communicate advertising transparently.” In his experience, the training is accessible and practical: “It is super affordable, quite basic and very practical. I did it in a single afternoon without problem; You do not need prior technical or legal knowledge. What caught my attention the most is how clear they make what is considered advertising and what is not. Sometimes we think that it is only public when there is a direct contract, but gifts and experiences also count. And also the issue of how to label correctly».
For content creator Carmen Estefano, who has also obtained certification, it was essential to acquire “a clear and accessible understanding of the regulations that we must take into account when creating and publishing content.” He agrees with Sara that the course is “simple”, although he recognizes that in some aspects they are “somewhat confusing.”
«Content creators are increasingly in the spotlight, so knowing the rules and applying them correctly is essential. We are in a moment in which being an influencer is no longer something informal. It is a job, and as such it has rules. This type of training protects us, but also our audience. And in the end, that generates trust, which is the most important thing,” he points out.
The truth is that influencers have always been in the spotlight and now they seem to become aware – not all, of course – of the impact of their publications. «In Spain control has increased considerably, but it is still lighter if we compare it with other countries. Even so, the way in which we have to proceed is still somewhat complex,” the Basque creator clarifies.
Guarded
To prepare the course contents, it has been take into account the new version of the Advertising Code of Conduct through Influencers, launched in 2025. “The response from the creators has been very positive: those who have obtained the certification rate the course with an average of 9.6 out of 10, especially for its practical usefulness,” says the deputy director of Self-control.
What do influencers fail the most? “The most frequent error continues to be the lack of clear identification of advertising, that is, content that is advertising, but is not recognized as such immediately, explicitly and appropriate to the medium,” he explains.
The objective is clear. «From the point of view of society, the certificate helps consumers to more easily identify when content is advertising, thus reinforcing transparency», points out Fernando Magarzo. And it warns: failure to comply with the regulations can lead to sanctioning procedures by the competent authorities.
Although this certificate is voluntary Companies like Dentsu and L’Oréal Groupe already require it from the creators with whom they collaborate, which shows that our “influences” are increasingly under surveillance.. Everything is no longer worth it.