Is a social media advertising label mandatory? The #Reklam rule and 2026 amendment

Who is responsible: influencer, advertiser, and agency

Under the regulation’s new definition, a social media influencer is a natural or legal person who shares social media content promoting goods or services directly or indirectly on their own or an advertiser’s behalf and turns that communication into any benefit. The definition contains no follower-count threshold. A business account is not excluded either, because the definition includes “legal person.”

Responsibility does not rest only with the person posting. Article 61 of Law No. 6502 requires advertisers, advertising agencies, and media organizations to comply with these rules. Article 11 of the 2021 guidelines also expects the advertiser to:

• Inform the influencer about the rules
• Require compliance with the law, regulation, and guidelines
• Draw attention to the same obligations if the influencer is permitted to work with third parties
• Make efforts toward compliance and take precautions against violations

The guidelines explicitly state that advertisers cannot avoid these obligations by arguing that it is “the influencer’s own responsibility.” Advertisers, agencies, and influencers acting as media organizations are each separately responsible for compliance; correcting a noncompliant ad later does not remove responsibility for the violation identified.

When is an advertising disclosure required? Example situations

Article 23/A lists examples of situations in which content must clearly be identified as advertising. These include directing people to the advertiser’s goods or services or the advertiser, receiving financial gain or benefits such as free or discounted goods or services, sharing promotional giveaway, contest, or campaign content, and posting in exchange for a benefit from attending the advertiser’s event. Because the list ends with “in situations such as,” it is not exhaustive.

Paid posts

A post, story, or video made for money is the clearest example. The amount or form of payment does not change the rule; if there is financial gain, “Reklam” or “Tanıtım” and the advertiser’s identity appear in the content.

Gifted products and free services

Even without monetary payment, free or discounted products or services count as benefits under the regulation. The 2021 guidelines also state that influencers cannot present a gifted product as something they purchased themselves. For this situation, the regulation also lists disclosure phrases such as “Ürünleri bana gönderdiği için @[reklam verene] teşekkürler.” (Thank you to @[advertiser] for sending me the products.)

Discount codes and affiliate links

A discount code taking followers to a brand’s website or product resembles the “referral to the advertiser” situation listed in the regulation; commission from code use also creates financial gain. Meta’s branded content page likewise states that content containing affiliate links must include a paid partnership label. Using an advertising disclosure in every post sharing a code or link is the cautious approach; seek a legal adviser’s opinion for borderline arrangements.

Giveaways and event invitations

Giveaway or contest posts organized to promote a brand’s product, and posts made in return for an invitation to a launch, are also among the regulation’s examples.

How should the #Reklam label be written and placed?

The #Reklam label alone is insufficient; alongside “Reklam” or “Tanıtım,” the regulation requires the content to include the advertiser’s name or trade name or one of these phrases: “@[reklam veren] tarafından sağlandı.” (Provided by @[advertiser]), “Ürünleri bana gönderdiği için @[reklam verene] teşekkürler.” (Thank you to @[advertiser] for sending me the products), or “@[reklam verene] teşekkürler.” (Thank you to @[advertiser]). In practice, a line such as “#Reklam @markaadi” or “Tanıtım: X Kozmetik tarafından sağlandı.” meets both conditions together. The regulation also separately describes the label’s presentation:

1. It must be distinguishable from the post’s colors and background and large enough to read easily.
2. It must be noticeable on first encounter without scrolling or navigating elsewhere.
3. If other labels or disclosures exist, it must precede them and be clearly distinct.
4. Taking the platform interface into account, place it where it will not overlap with text or icons.
5. If content spans multiple posts, it must appear in each one.
6. If advertising content is quoted in another posting format, for example from a post into a story, repeat it there as well.

Video, live broadcasts, and audio content

For audio-only posts, such as podcasts, include “[reklam veren] hakkında reklam/tanıtım içerir.” (Contains advertising/promotion about [advertiser]) at the beginning of the broadcast and before the advertisement. The 2021 guidelines required video and live-broadcast disclosures in writing and speech without making viewers click “read more.” The new text also requires visibility without scrolling or navigation for all posts.

Does a business need a label when posting its own products on its own account?

The official texts do not answer this question in a separate article; they also do not provide an explicit exception for a business’s own account. The regulation’s influencer definition covers promotion “on their own or an advertiser’s behalf” and legal persons. Meanwhile, the covert advertising prohibition targets advertising presented without identifying it as such; a brand promoting its own products on its official account bearing its name usually already makes clear who is speaking.

Uncertainty arises mainly in these situations: “recommendation” posts from founders’ or employees’ personal accounts, product-praising content on a secondary account whose brand connection is not visible, and campaigns run jointly with another brand. Using an advertising disclosure in such posts is the cautious option. A final assessment according to the business’s own account structure with its legal adviser is recommended.

Does Meta’s paid partnership label replace the legal label?

Meta’s tool is a platform rule, and there is no official provision stating that it replaces the wording in the regulation. Meta’s branded content help page defines content shared in exchange for payment or free products as branded content; where there is an exchange of value, it requires tagging the business partner regardless of whether the account is professional or personal. Adding a business partner displays the “Paid partnership” label above the post.

Meta’s Branded Content Policies also state that the obligation to comply with applicable laws and regulations continues, including mandatory disclosures identifying the commercial nature of content. The regulation requires “Reklam” or “Tanıtım” and the advertiser’s identity in the content. Using the platform label together with the legal disclosure meets both rules at once:

• Meta side: Tag the business partner through the branded content tool, displaying the “Paid partnership” label.
• Regulation side: Put “#Reklam” or “Tanıtım” and the advertiser’s name at the start of the caption; in stories and videos, the same wording also appears over the image.

Ads run by spending a budget through Ads Manager are a separate matter; Meta displays its own ad label on those ads. Campaign setup steps are explained in the how to advertise on Instagram article.

Common mistakes and the correct approach

Answering yes to whether a social media advertising label is mandatory is half the task; even when an Instagram advertising label is used, placing or formatting it incorrectly may fail to meet the rule. According to the official texts, the most common mistakes and their correct alternatives are as follows:

• Hiding the label behind “more”: A label at the end of a long caption requires scrolling or clicking and therefore fails the first-glance condition; the correct location is the caption’s first line and the image itself.
• Putting the label inside a pile of hashtags: The regulation requires the advertising disclosure to appear before other labels and be distinguishable.
• Writing only the English “ad” or “sponsored”: The required expressions in the regulation are “Reklam” and “Tanıtım”; #ad or #sponsored alone includes neither.
• Using only #işbirliği or #sponsor: These labels, valid under the 2021 guidelines, appear not to replace “Reklam” or “Tanıtım” since August 1, 2026.
• Labeling only the first frame in a story series: If content spans multiple posts, the label appears in every one.
• Omitting the advertiser’s name: Alongside “Reklam,” include the advertiser’s name or a disclosure phrase listed in the regulation.
• Not disclosing filters or artificial intelligence: The guidelines require clear disclosure of filters used in product ads; the regulation also requires clear disclosure of AI use that would significantly affect consumer behavior.

Additional sector restrictions

In some sectors, a label is insufficient because advertising itself is restricted. The 2021 guidelines state that influencers cannot promote or direct people to services of physicians, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, and healthcare institutions; promotion of healthcare services is also restricted by its own regulation. The regulation prohibits advertising human medicinal products, electronic cigarettes, tobacco products, and alcoholic beverages.

For lawyers, the advertising prohibition in Article 55 of the Attorneyship Law applies; professional regulations must be examined separately before planning posts in these sectors.

What is the penalty for an unlabeled post?

The sanction is in paragraph twelve of Article 77 of Law No. 6502 and is imposed by the Advertising Board. Under Law No. 6502, the following decisions may be made against advertisers, advertising agencies, and media organizations violating Article 61:

• Stopping the advertisement or correcting it through the same method
• An administrative fine
• A precautionary suspension of up to three months where deemed necessary
• Notification to remove online content; blocking access if it is not removed within twenty-four hours despite notification

Fine amounts are updated annually by the revaluation rate. According to the Ministry of Trade’s 2026 administrative fines communiqué, published in Official Gazette No. 33116 dated December 23, 2025, the lower limit for online advertising violations in 2026 is 1,083,706 TL and the upper limit is 10,837,065 TL. When determining the amount, the Board considers factors such as the nature of the violation, benefit obtained or harm caused, fault, and economic circumstances.

Checklist for businesses and social media management

For a business, whether a social media advertising label is mandatory is a contract and approval issue; work begins before the post goes live, and the guidelines expect advertisers to inform and take precautions. Before and during a partnership, these steps can be followed:

1. Write the labeling rule into the agreement: “Reklam” or “Tanıtım,” the advertiser’s name, and placement.
2. Request the draft before publication and check that the label is on the first line.
3. Confirm a label in every frame of a story series.
4. Request that the business be tagged as a partner through Meta’s branded content tool.
5. Record gifted products, invitations, and discount codes just like paid partnerships.
6. Check that filters or AI are disclosed in images using them.
7. Save a screenshot and the date of the post after publication.
8. Confirm any industry-specific advertising prohibition with a legal adviser before the partnership.

If working with an agency, responsibility for these steps should also be in writing. How to document the division of tasks is addressed in the social media management contract guide, while the general scope of service is covered in the what is social media management article.

The difference between common practices and management with an approval process

In common practice, partnerships are arranged through messaging, labels are left to the influencer, and the post is seen after it goes live. Mistakes are noticed only after publication in this arrangement; the guidelines state that later correction does not remove the advertiser’s responsibility. The largest difference in partnership labeling is whether checking happens before or after publication.

Onur Freelance has provided web design and digital marketing services from Maltepe/Istanbul since 2019. In social media management, we plan partnership posts according to this checklist; the service starts at 9,000 TL per month, advertising budget is excluded, and details are on the social media management prices page. Paid Meta campaigns are addressed separately within Meta advertising management.