The Anglo-Dutch cosmetics firm Unilever is refusing to work with influencers who have acquired followed using dodgy methods.

Genuine numbers only

As Instagram continues to tweak algorithms and users fail to achieve as many likes as once was possible, influencers are turning to shadier means to keep up appearances.

Unilever CMO, Keith Weed, says the company wishes to “increase transparency and help eradicate bad practices throughout the whole ecosystem.”

The company also called on Instagram to help make this change happen. Having spent $9 billion in marketing last year, Unilever feels bots and unethical practices undermine its integrity.

The Unilever reach

Unilever is parent company to several major brands including Dove, Suave, and Ben & Jerry’s, so the parent company has enacted a three-point plan to tackle the issue.

First, they want to focus on the removal of misleading engagement, educate brands and influencers on dishonest practices, and finally improving transparency on social platforms to measure impact.

The uproar has been building since last January's New York Times exposé on the business of buying followers from third-parties using fake accounts to pad numbers and could mark a major shift in social media advertising.

What do you think about the latest push to increase transparency in advertising? Do you feel this could be a moment of change? Let us know in the comments.