# AGCOM influencer rules in Italy: brand and creator duties

In Italy, all promotional content from influencers must be immediately recognisable as advertising, with clear labels such as “Pubblicità” (advertising), “ADV” or “Sponsorizzato da…” (sponsored by…). Anyone with at least 500,000 followers or 1 million average monthly views on a platform is a relevant influencer: they must also follow the Guidelines and Code of Conduct of AGCOM (Italy’s communications regulator) and register on its list.

By [Amalia Mariotti](https://amagency.eu/en/about-us/amalia-mariotti/), Founder & CEO · Updated: 26 October 2026 · https://amagency.eu/en/guides/agcom-influencer-rules-italy/

## Which rules apply

AGCOM’s FAQs, published on 16 March 2026 as non-binding guidance, set out the reference rules for anyone working in influencer marketing in Italy:

- the Testo unico dei servizi di media audiovisivi (TUSMA, Italy’s Audiovisual Media Services Code: Legislative Decree no. 208 of 8 November 2021, as amended by Legislative Decree no. 50 of 25 March 2024);
- the Codice del consumo (Italy’s Consumer Code);
- AGCOM’s Guidelines and Code of Conduct for influencers, adopted by resolution 197/25/CONS and published on 5 August 2025, which update the first guidelines set out in resolution 7/24/CONS;
- the Digital Chart regulation of the Istituto dell’Autodisciplina Pubblicitaria (IAP, Italy’s advertising standards authority) on making online commercial communications recognisable, referenced in the Code of Conduct;
- platform rules, where applicable.

## Who counts as a relevant influencer

Under the AGCOM Guidelines, a relevant influencer is anyone with at least 500,000 followers or 1 million average monthly views on at least one social media or video-sharing platform. Followers are counted on the thirtieth day before notification is sent to the Authority; average monthly views are calculated over the previous six months. If the threshold is crossed on just one platform, the rules apply on every platform where the creator has a profile.

Creators below the threshold aren’t exempt from everything. The AGCOM FAQs still urge them to be transparent about advertising and to protect minors, and Italy’s advertising bans – such as the one on gambling – still apply, as do the rules for video-sharing platforms.

## How to disclose advertising content

The basic rule is simple: if content has a promotional purpose, viewers must be able to tell straight away. According to the AGCOM FAQs, content counts as advertising when there is a payment or benefit (even a non-monetary one), a promotional agreement, an affiliate arrangement or a discount code; there is no minimum fee or gift value. Tagging the brand or adding a link or discount code is not enough. The guidance below comes from the AGCOM FAQs.

- Labels that are always accepted: “Pubblicità”, “Advertising”, “ADV” (including “ADV” plus the brand name) and equivalent wording that is immediate and unambiguous.
- “In collaborazione con” or “in partnership with” are not considered adequate when the content has been commissioned.
- Platform tools such as “Paid partnership” or “Contenuti brandizzati” (branded content) are useful but do not replace a written label.
- In posts with a caption, the label goes at the start, before the “more” cut-off; if hashtags are used, within the first three.
- In videos such as Reels and TikToks, it must appear both as an on-screen overlay in the opening scenes and in the description.
- In Stories, it must be overlaid on every promotional Story; in live streams, it must be shown and repeated during the broadcast.

## Gifts, invitations and events

For a gifted product, the FAQs suggest “gifted by…” or “prodotto inviato da…” (product sent by…); for hospitality or services without a contract, “invitato da…” (invited by…) or “#invitedby…”. If you attend an event under a contract or an ongoing promotional relationship, the label is “Pubblicità” or “ADV” with the brand name. As a precaution, the FAQs recommend keeping the disclosure for at least three months after the collaboration ends if the content is still linked to the brand or product.

This matters for seeding too: a creator who receives a product and chooses to talk about it must disclose it. The AGCOM FAQs allow the disclosure to be left out only if all of these conditions are met: the product is not the focus of the content, no recognisable logos are shown, there is no ongoing collaboration, the product has not already featured in “ADV” or “gifted” content, and the brand cannot reuse or reshare the content.

## Filters, minors and prohibited content

The Code of Conduct asks relevant influencers to flag filters and retouching that could distort perception – for example by promoting unrealistic standards or implying effects a product doesn’t have. Labels such as “contenuto modificato” (edited content), “foto modificata” (edited photo), “video filtrato” (filtered video) or “filtri” (filters) go within the first two pieces of information or, if hashtags are used, within the first four. The FAQs clarify that minor corrections don’t need flagging.

Advertising for gambling, tobacco and nicotine products and prescription-only medicines remains banned; alcohol marketing must not target minors or encourage excessive drinking. More generally, no content may harm minors’ development or exploit their inexperience.

## Obligations for relevant influencers

Under the Code of Conduct, creators above the thresholds must register on the list of relevant influencers using the form on the AGCOM website. They must give their personal details and nickname, profile links, metrics for each platform and a PEC (certified email) address – their own, their lawyer’s or their agency’s. According to the FAQs, the initial deadline was six months from publication of the resolution, i.e. 5 February 2026: if you haven’t registered yet, we recommend doing so straight away. The list is updated every six months, by 15 April and 15 October, and creators must report when they rise above or fall below the thresholds.

In their profile bio, a relevant influencer must include their name or nickname and the label “in elenco AGCOM” (on the AGCOM list). As the FAQs make clear, the list is not a professional register, and not registering does not exempt anyone from the rules: breaches can lead to formal warnings and administrative penalties under TUSMA (Articles 38 and 67), proportionate to the seriousness of the breach and taking any remedial action into account.

## What brands should do – and what we do

The creator publishes the label, but undisclosed content can also expose the brand and the agency to action. Hidden advertising is banned by the Codice del consumo, which the AGCM (Italy’s competition and consumer authority) also enforces against the companies that commission it, and by IAP self-regulation, as well as by the AGCOM rules for creators. That’s why we recommend putting it in the contract and the brief – which label to use and where to place it – and checking it before publication.

At Amagency every collaboration has a written contract, reviewed by our in-house legal team. In both the contract and the brief we require content to be disclosed as advertising as set out in the AGCOM Guidelines and Code of Conduct and the IAP Digital Chart, specifying the labels and where they go. Where approval is part of the process, we check copy and ad tags before anything goes live. This guide is a general summary, not legal advice: for specific cases, the official texts prevail.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is tagging the brand or adding a discount code enough?

No. According to the AGCOM FAQs, you need a clear label such as “Pubblicità”, “ADV” or “Sponsorizzato da…”, visible straight away without the user having to do anything.

### Do the rules apply below 500,000 followers?

The specific obligations, such as registering on the list, don’t. But advertising transparency, the protection of minors and advertising bans apply to everyone, and AGCOM also urges influencers below the threshold to comply.

## Sources

1. [AGCOM, Influencer: linee guida, codice di condotta e FAQ](https://www.agcom.it/influencer-linee-guida-codice-di-condotta-e-faq)
2. [AGCOM, delibera 197/25/CONS](https://www.agcom.it/provvedimenti/delibera-197-25-cons)
3. [AGCOM, Allegato A alla delibera 197/25/CONS: Linee guida per gli influencer](https://www.agcom.it/sites/default/files/media/allegato/2025/197_25_cons_allegato%20A_linee%20guida.pdf)
4. [AGCOM, Allegato B alla delibera 197/25/CONS: Codice di condotta per gli influencer](https://www.agcom.it/sites/default/files/media/allegato/2025/197_25_cons_allegato%20B_codice.pdf)
5. [AGCOM, FAQ su Linee guida e Codice di condotta per gli influencer (2026)](https://www.agcom.it/sites/default/files/media/allegato/2026/Allegato_B_operativo_influencer.pdf)
6. [AGCOM, modulo di iscrizione all’elenco degli influencer rilevanti](https://modulistica.agcom.it/webform-influencer)
7. [IAP, il nuovo Regolamento Digital Chart](https://www.iap.it/notizie/nuovo-regolamento-digital-chart/)
8. [Normattiva, d.lgs. 8 novembre 2021, n. 208 (TUSMA), come modificato dal d.lgs. 50/2024](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2021-11-08;208)
9. [Normattiva, d.lgs. 25 marzo 2024, n. 50 (correttivo del TUSMA)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2024-03-25;50)

## Further reading

- [Influencer campaign costs: what drives the price](https://amagency.eu/en/guides/influencer-campaign-costs/): What drives the cost of an influencer and a campaign: creators, formats, usage rights, exclusivity, duration and services. Plus how to read a quote.