Naturally, the Federal Trade Commission is doing its part by sending warning letters to influencers who violate its guidelines, which include labeling sponsored posts as #Ad or #PaidAd. But Instagram recently announced it would be taking matters into its own hands with a new tool on its app. The "Paid partnership with [enter brand name here]" post format is designed for users who want to advertise products on their page, letting them easily disclose when one of their posts is actually an ad. Instagram says this is an effort to bring the platform some much-needed transparency. The feature is set to roll out in the coming weeks to a "small number" of creators and businesses, according to the company.

In a blog post last week, Instagram said its branded-content tool is only the first step in a larger strategy to tackle this issue, noting that in the coming months it plans to unveil a formal policy for influencers "based off of Facebook's current practices." Instagram declined to comment for this story, but a glimpse at Facebook's Branded Content Policies suggests influencer profiles will be treated differently from regular ones, with access to tools like "Paid partnership with" and others that may not be live yet. "We define branded content as a creator or publisher's content that features or is influenced by a business partner for an exchange of value," reads Facebook's Branded Content policy.

Instagram's tool will let users tag brands they're working with, making it easy for both parties to gather analytics and, most importantly, for followers to know when a post doubles as a product placement. The question is: Will influencers actually use the feature? And what will happen if they don't? Unfortunately, we won't know those answers until Instagram shares definite details about its policies. Facebook makes it clear to both users and brands that any partnership must "comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including by ensuring that you provide all necessary disclosures to people using Facebook, such as any disclosures needed to indicate the commercial nature of content posted by you." It's unclear if the FTC, which declined our request for comment, did anything to influence Instagram's new tool.

That said, the government agency is of course trying to keep people from committing violations. Back in March, it sent over 90 letters to social media influencers, including A-list celebs like Heidi Klum and Victoria Beckham, reminding each of them they must clearly disclose paid endorsements on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else on the web. The problem is, the FTC's efforts to crack down on dubious advertising don't seem all that effective.