Fines for Big Luca and Michele Leka for promoting high-earning strategies while failing to disclose the advertising intent behind their communications. Commitments accepted from Luca Marani, Alessandro Berton, Hamza Mourai and Davide Caiazzo. Four other cases in the same sector were resolved by the Authority through moral suasion earlier this year.

The Italian Competition Authority has closed investigations into Luca Marani, Alessandro Berton, Hamza Mourai, Davide Caiazzo, Luca De Stefani and Michele Leka. The proceedings concerning the first four influencers were closed with commitments, while De Stefani and Leka were fined 65 thousand euro in total. The investigations were launched in July 2024 because the influencers repeatedly published photos and/or videos – on their social platforms and websites – offering paid advice on how to “make substantial, easy and risk-free profits”, modelled on their own success stories. However, they failed to label the content as advertising, and consumers were therefore not informed of its commercial nature. In addition, key factors affecting purchasing decisions, such as the price of the goods and/or services offered, were not adequately disclosed.

In the case concerning Luca De Stefani (also known as Big Luca), the Authority found that he had engaged in two unfair commercial practices and imposed a fine of 60 thousand euro. The first practice involved heavily promoting easy and risk-free profits online, including through claims and endorsements – from brands, news outlets, television networks and programmes – that were not readily verifiable. These commercial communications were not labelled as advertising and failed to clearly disclose key information relevant to consumer purchasing decisions. The second practice consisted in presenting an inflated sense of popularity in commercial communications, supported by fake Instagram followers, exclusively positive testimonials and reviews that could not be easily verified.

With regard to Michele Leka, the Authority imposed a 5 thousand euro fine for an unfair commercial practice involving the publication of photos and videos on TikTok offering simple strategies and advice promising substantial financial gains.

The Authority’s proceedings into Marani, Berton, Mourai and Caiazzo were closed without establishing any infringement, but by accepting a set of commitments. These include the removal of language promoting easy or risk-free profits from all their social media platforms and websites. The four influencers have also agreed to use advertising disclaimers, remove fake followers from their social media profiles and monitor them using appropriate tools, and to align their online activities with consumer protection regulations.

These latest actions are part of a wider effort by the Authority to ensure transparency and compliance in the influencer marketing sector, with a particular focus on making the advertising nature of online content clear to users. In this regard, back in January 2025, the Authority successfully concluded its moral suasion efforts targeting Ludovica Meral Frasca, Sofia Giaele De Donà, Milena Miconi and Alessandra Ventura.

Rome, 11 June 2025