Mehmet Oz potentially violated influencer marketing standards, watchdog group says
Watchdog group Public Citizen asked the Federal Trade Commission to take action against Dr. Mehmet Oz for allegedly violating influencer marketing standards.
The consumer protection watchdog group Public Citizen asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate allegations that Dr. Mehmet Oz violated the FTC’s influencer marketing standards.
In numerous videos posted to his various social media channels, Oz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to direct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has promoted herbal supplements.
The day before Thanksgiving, Oz posted a video on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X about the stress relief benefits of ashwagandha, a shrub found in Asia and Africa. Oz referred his 11 million followers to a “trusted source” to buy the herbal supplement, an online marketplace called iHerb. On social media, Oz says he is the company’s global adviser and a stakeholder.
Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the Trump transition team, said, “All nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies.”
Robert Weissman, a co-president of Public Citizen, said in a letter to the FTC on Tuesday that some of Oz’s videos advertising herbal supplements may have violated influencer marketing guidelines by not disclosing that Oz has a financial connection to the brands. The FTC declined to comment to NBC News, saying it does not comment on communications or complaints from outside entities.
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