Influencer boom draws scrutiny

Social media influencers have enjoyed rapid growth in recent years. From an industry that was virtually non-existent a decade ago, companies are projected to pay individuals $10 billion globally in 2020 to laud their products in social media posts.

This booming industry has led to a number of different concerns for regulators and for advertisers. The added scrutiny led the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to issue new guidelines for influencers in November.

On this edition of Global Journalist, a look at the rise of the social media influencer industry and how it's changing advertising.

Joining the program:

• Yara Mabote, influencer and fashion blogger
• Julie Matic, executive vice president, We Are the Lede
• Simon Owens, technology journalist
• Sommer Kapitan, senior lecturer, Auckland University of Technology

Assistant producers: Kasey Baiter, Benjamin Brink Jr., Grace Huguelet

Supervising producers: Trevor Hook, Edom Kassaye

Visual editor: Kyle McCubbin