How to recognize it in the interface
01
A brand is recommended with no “Sponsored” label and no reason tied to your needs.
Not this pattern: a sponsored result that is clearly labelled as an ad.
Same moment, different copy (illustrative example)
Before
“The best option for you is BrandX Pro.”
Shows the pattern
After
“Sponsored: BrandX Pro. Unsponsored options in your budget: A, B and C.”
The fair alternative
Design guideline
Labels every paid placement and keeps it apart from the answer.
Do
Labels every paid placement and keeps it apart from the answer.
Don’t
Don’t mix paid placements into answers without a label.
Sources
01
US Federal Trade Commission, 2015. Enforcement Policy Statement on Deceptively Formatted Advertisements. ftc.gov ↗
02
European Union, 2022. Digital Services Act, Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, Article 26 (advertising on online platforms). eur-lex.europa.eu ↗
03
European Union, 2005. Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC, Annex I, point 11 (advertorials). eur-lex.europa.eu ↗
04
Zelch, Hagen and Potthast, 2024. A User Study on the Acceptance of Native Advertising in Generative IR. CHIIR 2024. doi.org ↗
05
Kumar and Lakkaraju, 2024. Manipulating Large Language Models to Increase Product Visibility. arXiv:2404.07981 ↗