{"id":54507,"date":"2022-02-25T11:36:37","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T10:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.likes-kopen.nl\/uncategorized\/stop-buying-fake-followers-the-acm-is-taking-action\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T22:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T21:37:07","slug":"is-buying-likes-legal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.likes-kopen.nl\/en\/is-buying-likes-legal\/","title":{"rendered":"The ACM fortunately can't suspend your social media channel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated 18 September 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

The short answer: for your own personal account, buying likes or followers is not illegal. If you use them to promote products or services, as a business or as an influencer, it is prohibited in the EU.<\/strong> On top of that, every major platform forbids it in its terms. Below we explain how it works, with sources.<\/p>\n

Personal use: not illegal, but against platform rules<\/h2>\n

The Dutch consumer authority ACM is clear about this: fake likes or followers for personal use, without a commercial purpose, do not count as misleading consumers. In the same publication the ACM adds that in most cases you do break the platform’s rules, and that it advises against it (ACM, 11 March 2022, in Dutch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

So if you buy likes or followers for your own account, for example to give your hobby profile or your music a push, you are not breaking the law. You do run the risk that the platform removes the purchased numbers again.<\/p>\n

Businesses and influencers: prohibited since 28 May 2022<\/h2>\n

Since 28 May 2022 it has been on the EU “blacklist” of unfair commercial practices (point 23c of Annex I to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive): “submitting or commissioning another legal or natural person to submit false consumer reviews or endorsements, or misrepresenting consumer reviews or social endorsements, in order to promote products” is always prohibited (Directive (EU) 2019\/2161<\/a>). Every EU country has written this into its own law. In the Netherlands it is article 6:193g(aa) of the Civil Code.<\/p>\n

That this covers likes and followers is stated explicitly. The directive gives “likes” on social media as an example (recital 49), and the European Commission’s guidance says the notion also covers “fake followers, reactions and views” (Guidance 2021\/C 526\/01, section 4.2.4<\/a>).<\/p>\n

What has the Dutch regulator done so far?<\/h2>\n