German influencer Hanadi Diab fined €37,803 for undisclosed Instagram ads

Published Jul 28, 04:08 PM UTC

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The State Authority for Communication Baden-Württemberg (LFK) has imposed a legally binding fine of 37,803.50 euros on Stuttgart-based influencer Hanadi Diab for repeatedly violating advertising labeling requirements on Instagram. Diab, who has over 760,000 followers, posted paid cooperations between May and July 2025 without proper disclosure, using too small fonts or failing to label posts as ads entirely. The LFK noted that Diab had been warned about the legal requirements in 2020 and 2022. The fine amount reflects the repeated violations, her high reach, the economic value of the cooperations, and prior warnings. Diab expressed shock but the fine is now final.

Source report

Hanadi Diab reacted in shock, but the fine notice is legally binding. Source: picture alliance/Geisler-Fotopress/gbrci/Geisler-Fotopress

A state authority in Baden-Württemberg has imposed a significant fine on an influencer. Hanadi Diab from Stuttgart is accused of, among other things, labeling advertising with excessively small font — and not for the first time.

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Will she still get likes for this? Due to repeated violations of advertising labeling requirements on Instagram, an influencer from Stuttgart must pay more than €37,000. The State Authority for Communication Baden-Württemberg (LFK) imposed a fine of €36,000, as it announced. Together with procedural fees and expenses, the total amount to be paid is €37,803.50.

According to the authority, the fine notice is legally binding. The LFK stated that this is the highest fine the Baden-Württemberg authority has ever imposed on an influencer.

The influencer is Hanadi Diab, who posts photos and videos about lifestyle, fashion, and beauty. More than 760,000 people follow her on Instagram alone. Diab contradicted the allegations in a video published on TikTok in April. "I am shocked. I label every cooperation," she explained.

Key Details

Criticism from the LFK: The authority noted that advertising references were too small and insufficiently recognizable due to font type and color. Diab responded, "You can see everywhere that it's an ad."
Violations: The case involves several paid cooperations that Diab allegedly published in Instagram Stories between May and July 2025. She received money and benefits in kind for the advertising. Some posts were not labeled as advertising at all, making their commercial nature not immediately recognizable to users.
Prior Warnings: According to the LFK, Diab had already been repeatedly informed about legal requirements for advertising labeling in 2020 and 2022.
Fine Calculation: In determining the amount, the LFK stated it took into account:
The repeated violations
The high reach of the Instagram account
The economic value of the cooperations
The authority's earlier warnings

dpa/lfb

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Original headline: Influencerin macht wiederholt Schleichwerbung – und muss 37.803,50 Euro zahlen

Original language: DE

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Influencer Hanadi Diab Fined 37,803 Euros for Repeated Undisclosed Advertising on Instagram

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