Pair failed to disclose commercial nature of posts promoting their own brands on social media
The Consumer and Competition Protection Commission (CCPC) has published details of 18 new enforcement actions taken for breaches of consumer protection legislation.
“Whether you’re a retailer, a publican or an influencer, you must comply with consumer law,” the CCPC said.
Ms Jackson, the founder of SOSU Cosmetics and Dripping Gold tan, was issued with a compliance notice after failing to properly label that she was paid for multiple posts on her SoSueMe Instagram account between December 2024 and February last year.
The four posts promoted products connected to SOSU Cosmetics and two of them related to a masterclass night in a Dunnes Stores branch in Limerick and a collaboration with celebrity make-up artist Paula Callan.
The businesswoman has amassed nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram following the success of her SoSueMe blog in the early 2010s.
The CCPC found that a company called Cohar Limited, of which Ms Jackson and her husband Dylan O’Connor are directors, paid the businesswoman “either directly or indirectly” to promote a product and that the posts “failed to clearly and appropriately disclose that the promotion is a paid promotion”.
Ms Jackson was warned that she must make it clear when posts are paid for – including content promoting her own brand. The CCPC told her to mark the posts with “Ad”.
“Your social media channels will be the subject of further inspection by the CCPC to ensure adherence to these compliance directions,” the compliance notice said.
Conor McGregor
When contacted, Ms Jackson shared the below statement with the Irish Independent;
“I can confirm that I received correspondence from the CCPC relating to an ownership disclosure on a social media post from late 2024.
“The post was shared on my personal page and related to a masterclass featuring my own brand and business. Upon receipt of the letter, the content was updated to ensure it was fully compliant. There was no issue raised in relation to other brands or partners I work with.
“I take advertising transparency very seriously and I am committed to being fully compliant with the relevant requirements.
“I fully accept the CCPC’s findings in this case, which was a mistake on my part.”
McGregor, meanwhile, was found to be in breach of consumer law after failing to disclose that products relating to his Forged Irish Stout brand were being promoted in a paid capacity.
The compliance notice related to three posts on his Instagram profile in June 2024 which tagged Forged Irish Stout.
The captions included “Happy birthday from the GOAT”; “A true Irish stout” and “When she sees you with a Forged Irish Stout”.
He was advised by the CCPC to clearly mark the posts with “Ad or #Ad” and given until January 1 this year to comply with the notice.
“You, Conor McGregor, a trader, are hereby directed to ensure that, in all futures instances, where a trader has paid you to use editorial content in the media to promote a product or service, you make it clear that such promotion is a paid promotion,” the CCPC said.
“This includes, but is not limited to, all content forms, e.g. stories, reels, posts, collaborations, on all media where you are promoting any product or service including your ‘own brand’ products and services.”
A number of retailers and publicans were also issued with compliance notices.
We look forward to the introduction of direct fining powers for the CCPC
Circle K on Nassau Street in Dublin 2 received two fixed payment notices for failing to display product prices.
Three Dublin bars were also given compliance notices for failing to display a price list.
This included Perfect Pubs 3 Ltd, trading as The Auld Dubliner; The Temple Bar Tavern Ltd, trading as Fitzsimons Temple Bar and Dakota Bar.
Patrick Kenny, member of the CCPC, said: “Our officers carry out hundreds of in-store and online inspections, sweeps and investigations every year, assessing thousands of products and transactions to make sure consumer rights are upheld across the economy.
“CCPC teams will be actively monitoring compliance by these traders. Failure to obey a compliance notice is an offence, and we will prosecute those who do not correct their practices.
“We look forward to the introduction of direct fining powers for the CCPC. The ability to issue significant fines is an essential addition to our enforcement toolkit.”
In addition to the enforcements published today, last month the CCPC successfully prosecute Brown Thomas Arnotts for breaching sales pricing legislation and car dealer Ionut Nitulescu for misleading a consumer.
This article was amended at 9.30am, February 12 to include a supplied statement from Suzanne Jackson