May 22, 2025
You don’t need a major breach to feel the burn. One dodgy influencer tag, a forgotten login, or a missed “#ad” can be enough to knock trust, damage reputation, or lock you out completely.
We’ve been digging into the latest brand safety insights — and honestly, it’s more chaotic out there than most brands realise.
1. Influencer marketing is still a compliance minefield
The ASA found that 72% of TikTok influencer posts in their latest audit didn’t clearly disclose they were ads. Even on Instagram, 43% were missing proper labelling. If you’re running paid partnerships and hoping creators “just know the rules” — you’re exposed. Contracts need clear disclosure clauses. And someone on your side needs to be checking posts once they’re live.
2. Brands are still losing access to their own pages
Yes, still. Team members leave, recovery emails get lost, or someone clicks a fake “Community Guidelines” link — and suddenly you’re locked out. Worse, 40% of brands have faced unauthorised access to their social accounts (SpiderAF, 2025). These aren’t one-off incidents. They’re daily risks.
3. Platforms aren’t helping fast enough
Meta has scaled back fact-checking. X (Twitter) has all but abandoned moderation. If your ad ends up next to conspiracy content or hate speech, the public won’t care that “it’s the algorithm.” They’ll see your logo and draw their own conclusions. And when things go wrong? Good luck reaching a human. This is why escalation paths and daily monitoring aren’t optional — they’re essential.
4. Impersonation scams are on the rise
Fake pages. Stolen logos. Crypto giveaways under your name. The FBI reported a 65% increase in social impersonation scams last year, and platforms often take days to respond. If your followers get tricked by a fake version of you — that damage is hard to undo. Social listening, keyword alerts, and audience education are your first lines of defence.
The bottom line?
Brand safety isn’t just about ad placement anymore. It’s about people, process, and preparedness. If your team isn’t actively managing access, monitoring influencer content, and scanning for impersonation — the cracks are already there.
Need help tightening things up? This is exactly the kind of work we do – get in touch today.