Polish Authority Introduces a New Tool for Tagging Ads in AR

A new AR filter for Instagram and facebook has just been introduced by the President of Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (OCCP). This new, free tool, using Augmented Reality (AR) should enhance influencers to tag commercial materials in an attractive and clear way.

The cutting-edge technology behind AR filters makes it possible to apply effects to camera images in real time.  With the filter advertising, self-promotion and gift can be clearly and unambiguously marked

- says Tomasz Chróstny, President of the OCCP.

The filter (in Polish) OznaczamReklamy (eng.: I`m tagging ads) has been prepared in two colour lines: purple and white - to enable it to best match the original creations of online creators, while ensuring maximum visibility. Contrasting with the background, a two-tier labelling is very important to identify the commercial nature of the advertising materials in a clear way to be easy to noticed by the consumers. The Office recommends using it for social media platforms and tagging content by the author at the same time.

#cooperation or #ad in English are unclear to Polish consumers insufficient when marking a commercial messageOznaczamreklamy” (I`mtaggingads). 

. Similarily, placing designations at the end of the description or poorly visible, e.g. hidden under the user’s name, can be a misleading practice. These practices still occur among advertisers and influencers, who are traders under the law and therefore have legal obligations towards consumers. The AR filter for Instagram and facebook is available on the OCC's profile on Instagram, from where it can be saved and used at any time. It can also be found in the effects search engine under the name “

The AR filter is the effect of months of consultation with representatives of the influencer marketing industry, academics and the Advertising Council. Polish authority is very active and takes a number of steps to provide consumers with better protection, including through the use of modern technology. The Office receives average of 300 signals per month on potential violations and the use of misleading labelling of commercial content or lack thereof on social media. The Office ensures that further investigations into scam and surreptitious advertising are ongoing.

Under Polish law it is the responsibility of influencers, advertising agencies and advertisers to label commercial content correctly. Failure to label commercial content correctly carries a penalty of up to 10 % of turnover.