#U-turn: FCA drops #ad from social media policy

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has dropped its suggestion firms should be using #ad in financial promotions on Twitter, following industry concerns about its appropriateness.

In its finalised guidance out on 13 March the regulator said it "revised our stance" on the issue and now believes hashtags are "not an appropriate way" to identify promotional content. Most promotions will be "self-evidently promotions", the regulator said, and it expects signposting only when the information is coupled with other material that may confuse people about its aim. The regulator asked firms to stick to the principle of making promotions 'fair, clear and not misleading' and to beware of the constraints of character limited media such as Twitter. In its initial consulta...