[(Title)] Celebrities warned over social media ads.

An investigation has begun into whether celebrities are making it clear when they are paid to endorse a product on social media.

相关部门已经开始调查，名人收费在社交媒体上推荐产品时是否做出了明确的广告声明。

The UK's competition watchdog has written to a number of influencers, including household names, to question how they operate.

英国的竞争监管机构已经致信给许多有影响力的名人，包括家喻户晓的名人，以询问他们的操作方式。

These people, often with millions of social media followers, should make any commissioned posts immediately clear.

这些人在社交媒体上往往有数以百万计的粉丝，在被委托打广告时理应明确声明。

The regulator said it would name anyone found to be flouting the rules.

该监管机构称，它将对任何被发现漠视规则的名人进行公开点名。

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has not released the names of celebrities, thought to be in double figures, who have been contacted as yet, but a string of well-known people have been admonished by the UK's advertising watchdog in recent times.

英国竞争与市场管理局（CMA）尚未公布那些被怀疑这么做的名人清单，但已经联系过他们。最近英国的广告监管机构已经警告了一些知名人士。

Recent cases where the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has intervened include:

广告标准管理局(ASA)最近干预的案例包括:

• 前真人秀明星Stephanie Davis发布了一系列生活方式公司Convits的一些维生素以及促销代码的照片：ASA表示受众无法辨识这是否是广告；

• 化妆博主Sheikh beauty在Instagram上发布一篇帖子，宣传一款肥茶（Flat Tummy Tea），并没有说明饮料公司给她付了钱；

• 电视节目主持人AJ Odudu的一则推文上有一张Alpro甜点的照片，并声称这是她最喜欢的小吃之一。但她并未声明她是在社交媒体上宣传这个甜品是收了费的。

The CMA said that celebrities could sway the shopping habits of millions of people by telling followers on channels such as Twitter, YouTube and Instagram where they have been on holiday, what they wear, what products they use or which books they read.

CMA表示，名人可以在Twitter、YouTube和Instagram等社交媒体上告诉追随者他们去哪里度假、穿什么衣服，用什么产品，读什么书，从而改变数百万人的购物习惯。

Consumer protection regulations state that anyone should make it clear in editorial content at first sight if they have been paid or rewarded in some way.

消费者保护条例规定，任何人只要以某种方式得到支付或奖励，就应当在编辑内容中明确这一点。

The risk is that consumers might be more likely to place their trust in a product if they think it has had the personal recommendation of someone they admire, without realising the post is part of a commercial agreement.

风险在于，如果消费者认为某一产品由他们所羡慕的人的亲自推荐，那么他们更可能信任产品，而不会意识到这个推荐是商业协议的一部分。

"It is really important they are clearly told whether a celebrity is promoting a product because they have bought it themselves, or because they have been paid or thanked in some way by the brand," said George Lusty, senior director at the CMA.

CMA高级主管乔治·鲁斯蒂说：“公众的知情权非常重要，他们需要清楚地知道名人是否只因个人喜好而推荐产品，还是他们已经通过某种方式得到了品牌的酬金或感谢费。”

The CMA has asked the public to share their experiences as part of the investigation.

作为调查的一部分，英国竞争与市场管理局要求公众分享他们的经验。

The investigation, which has no set deadline, could lead to naming and shaming of anyone breaking the rules, and potentially prosecutions. Courts can issue unlimited fines or even imprisonment in extreme cases.

调查没有规定期限，可能导致任何违反规则的人遭到点名，并可能受到起诉，法院可以在极端案件中处以不设上限的罚款甚至监禁。

Dozens of celebrities were warned about endorsing products on social media when the CMA took action against an intermediary in 2016.

在2016年CMA采取的行动中，数十位名人被警告在社交媒体上推销产品。