Rules for influencer marketing in Belgium: what must you disclose?
Lucian Calistru·Updated on 2 augustus 2026
In Belgium, advertising must be recognisable as advertising, even when a content creator makes it in exchange for a free product or service. That means a creator must clearly disclose a collaboration, for example with a label such as "collaboration" or "in exchange for", so the audience knows it is paid or traded content.
In short
- Advertising must be recognisable as advertising, even if the compensation is a trade deal, not money.
- Disclose a collaboration clearly, for example with a label or hashtag such as "collaboration" or "#ad".
- The responsibility lies with both the creator and the business that entered the collaboration.
- This guide is general information, not legal advice; consult the FPS Economy or JEP when in doubt.
The basic principle: recognisability
The core of Belgian advertising regulation, also on social media, is that a consumer must be able to see when something is advertising. That applies to a trade deal as much as to a paid collaboration: it is not about whether money was exchanged, but about whether the creator received a benefit in exchange for the content.
In concrete terms, this means a post about a free meal, product or service must carry a clear indication, so followers know it is a collaboration and not a spontaneous, unpaid recommendation.
How to disclose a collaboration correctly
A clear, visible label works best: "collaboration with [business]", "in exchange for a free product" or a comparable, unambiguous disclosure, at the top of the post or clearly in view, not tucked away at the bottom of a long text. Vague wording that obscures the collaboration does not meet the principle of recognisability.
Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok often offer a built-in "paid partnership" feature. Use that feature on top of a clear text disclosure for the best result.
Who is responsible?
Both the creator and the business carry responsibility: the creator because they post the content, the business because it entered the collaboration and benefits from it. So agree up front that the content will be labelled correctly, so this does not become a point of discussion afterwards.
For concrete, up-to-date guidelines you can turn to the FPS Economy and to JEP (the Jury for Ethical Practices in advertising), which both publish information about advertising labelling on social media in Belgium.
Sources
Official sources for this guide. This guide is general information, not advice for your situation.