About this project
On our social media feeds, we encounter content from creators and influencers. While these professional users share authentic, relatable posts and videos about their lives and beliefs, they also monetise their content by getting paid to promote certain brands, products, and values. But, how visible is this commercial content? What rules should govern influencer content? Do platforms balance the interests of users and influencers?
The Sponsored Scroll is experimental research from the HUMANads team at Utrecht University that examines governance in the creator economy. Using real-life examples from mega-influencers (over 1 million followers) in the Netherlands, participants are asked to consider what should be visible on Instagram and TikTok and what rules these platforms have in place to regulate influencer content. This project aims to understand how people view different kinds of content shared by influencers, interpret platform policies, and see the role of these platforms in protecting their feeds.
Learn more about the HUMANads project here.
Project team
- Taylor Annabell: Postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University
- Thales Bertaglia: Postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University
- Catalina Goanta: Associate professor at Utrecht University
- Isolde Torres, Master's Student in Law and Technology, Utrecht University
- Meike Wind, Master's Student in Legal Research, Utrecht University
- Mieke Postma, Media, Art and Performance Studies student, Utrecht University
- Nadia Otten, Master's Student in Law and Technology, Utrecht University
Acknowledgements
This project is supported by funding from the ERC Starting Grant HUMANads (ERC-2021-StG No 101041824).
Contact
Get in touch with Taylor Annabell.