Testimonials or endorsements
Employee review presented as independent expertise
A fictional software company publishes a five-star quote from its product manager under an “Independent experts recommend” heading.
Individual HTML example · Social proof
Paid creator recommendation lacks disclosure
A fictional creator calls a skincare product a personal favourite and links to purchase without disclosing payment until the bottom of a collapsed caption.
This is an original fictional comparison. It depicts no real business and is not a regulator finding, statutory category or legal safe harbour.
Paid creator recommendation lacks disclosure
A fictional creator calls a skincare product a personal favourite and links to purchase without disclosing payment until the bottom of a collapsed caption.
My everyday favourite. The creator’s payment is hidden below the promotional claim.. Shop my pick. Claim basis, collapsed
Paid advertisement. The material relationship appears before the recommendation and link.. View advertised product. Claim basis, expanded: The relevant population, period, inventory or offer state is presented with the message.. View the source and period for “View advertised product”
Why the first version can mislead: The interface asks the user to rely on other people’s behaviour or approval. The cue “Shop my pick” has persuasive meaning only if its population, period, metric and relationship match the represented claim. The panel instead says: “The creator’s payment is hidden below the promotional claim.” Viewers may give the recommendation weight they would not give a clearly identified advertisement.
What a fairer design does: Disclose the material relationship at first exposure and keep it visible near the endorsement and purchase route.
Show annotated differences (4)
Potentially problematic version
- The creator’s payment is hidden below the promotional claim.Why this state matters: The interface asks the user to rely on other people’s behaviour or approval. The cue “Shop my pick” has persuasive meaning only if its population, period, metric and relationship match the represented claim. The panel instead says: “The creator’s payment is hidden below the promotional claim.” Viewers may give the recommendation weight they would not give a clearly identified advertisement.
- Claim basis, collapsedReview prompt: Which source record substantiates “Shop my pick”, including its population, period, metric and any commercial relationship?
Neutral alternative
- The material relationship appears before the recommendation and link.Fairer design: Disclose the material relationship at first exposure and keep it visible near the endorsement and purchase route.
- View the source and period for “View advertised product”Review prompt: Record the claim, timestamp, data source and post-claim state; which evidence supports “The interface attributes an evaluative statement or approval to a person or identifiable group”?
Review questions (3)
- Which source record substantiates “Shop my pick”, including its population, period, metric and any commercial relationship?
- Record the claim, timestamp, data source and post-claim state; which evidence supports “The interface attributes an evaluative statement or approval to a person or identifiable group”?
- Can the claim be reproduced from a defined population and period, or does the evidence instead fit “Unaffiliated verifiable statement accurately quoted in context”?
Complete practice context
How this example relates to Testimonials or endorsements
A named or attributed person's approval is used persuasively without sufficient authenticity, representativeness or relationship disclosure. This is a design and research taxonomy for learning and evidence review, not a statutory offence label or an automatic finding that an interface is unlawful.
The full guide explains inclusion and exclusion criteria, potential harms, fairer design, evidence questions and separate Australian legal information layers. The example page isolates one scenario so it can be shared and discussed without reproducing the complete library on one page.
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Sources and provenance for this example
Evidence base
Sources
- Dark commercial patternsOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · OECD Digital Economy Papers No. 336
- Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026Federal Register of Legislation · Primary · checked 2026-09-14 · C2026A00064