It’s the Instagram page striking fear into Irish influencer and blogger spheres, shining a spotlight on the industry.

Gaining almost a cult status, ‘Bloggers Unveiled’ shares daily updates of questionable practices from fake followers to fixing competitions for friends and family, photoshop fails, to altered images.

Then there’s the issue of influencers selling rebranded imported Chinese products at grossly inflated prices and Snapchatting while driving, which has also been highlighted.

With more than 100,000 followers in just a few months, it’s perhaps ironic that Bloggers Unveiled itself has emerged one of the biggest influencers in town.

In an exclusive interview with EVOKE.ie, the people behind Bloggers Unveiled revealed their reasons for setting it up, the legal threats they have received and threats of violence and verbal abuse.

’I had been following bloggers for years and as the industry evolved I slowly came to the realisation that a sizeable number of influencers were behaving unscrupulously.

‘They are posting heavily photo shopped images and selling a lifestyle to impressionable young people that is simply unattainable.

‘Then you would ask a question and you would be blocked. And I mean genuine questions, not nasty, but they would just block you. And this was years ago before ads and sponsors. There wasn’t high levels of accountability and transparency.

‘There was one blogger that I loved; her look, her image. I was a big fan. But one day I asked a question and boom I was blocked.

‘After the blogging industry exploded there suddenly became this culture where bloggers would permanently ask for free stuff, from food to hair to holidays. It just became very blatant. Then some started to charge €2,500 just for a post. If the business didn’t pay they would feel they are missing out and it just created an environment where businesses came under enormous pressure. And I’m talking about small businesses.

‘Around 2014 the tide started to turn, for me anyway. I really found you couldn’t ask anything. There was just this positive reinforcement all of the time and if you even asked a simple question you were branded a ’troll’ and blocked. Something as simple as saying you didn’t like a top got you blocked.’

Then the Ali Express controversy erupted where a number of Irish influencers were found selling cheap items sourced from Chinese website, Ali Express, rebranding them and selling them at astronomical mark ups. ‘That just blew my mind. That was a whole other level of opportunism,’ the source said.

Bloggers Unveiled followed Irish Bloggers Scammers and Bullshitcallerouter [BSCO] as the unofficial watchdog of the industry, and according to PR sources, it is packing a powerful punch.

‘You can’t help but notice it,’ said a leading Irish PR this weekend. ‘It’s an eye opener, and brands now want answers from PR companies as to who they are hiring and entrusting and paying to promote their products.

‘Everyone is calling for accountability from consumers to brands to PR to agents and ending with the bloggers themselves and because of pages like this there is nowhere to hide online anymore.’

🐸☕️ A post shared by Bloggers Unveiled (@bloggersunveiled) on Mar 22, 2018 at 11:39am PDT

Bloggers Unveiled’s popularity has caused a ripple effect with brands and businesses starting to take notice of the eye-opening revelations on the page.

As the effects of the social media page spill over into the real lives, finances and reputations of bloggers, the page has received threats from legal entities and threats of violence and verbal abuse.

‘We don’t shy away from threats of violence or legal threats. We are not posting anything we cannot stand over,’ said the Bloggers Unveiled source.

‘We are very careful and carry out all the checks and balances before any posts. Some people agree some people don’t, but we allow all opinions.

‘There’s no block button on standby. People don’t need to be told what to think and they certainly don’t need to be blocked for asking perfectly legitimate questions.’

Since the page grew the public has been sharing information in a confidential capacity through direct messaging.

➡️ 🐸☕️👮🏻‍♂️🚓💅🏻 A post shared by Bloggers Unveiled (@bloggersunveiled) on Apr 6, 2018 at 9:15am PDT

‘The page gets an awful lot of tips and information and not even the half of it is posted. There is no gossip or rumours or anything of a personal or private nature.

And BU isn’t about inciting or allowing hate and there is no encouraging or condoning nasty behaviour.’

Understandably, people have questioned the anonymity of a page calling for transparency.

‘It’s anonymous because there is nothing to be gained from opening up to death threats, which have been received, multiple cease and desist letters just or because the page dares to tell the truth. There can be a nasty undercurrent behind the industry.’

‘For me, selling a lifestyle that is unattainable, posting images that are unrealistic and using the battle cry of ‘women supporting other women’ in order to sell Chinese tat or a lifestyle to these very same women that they flog this lifestyle to is wrong.

‘So is building up brands and companies then turning your back on them a heartbeat when you get a better offer.

‘Yes, there have been suggestions that the page is anti-blogger or anti the industry. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Bloggers Unveiled supports the blogging industry and honest and real influencers but it’s more about highlighting what can be seen as bad practice or misleading bloggers.

That’s why there is ‘Follow Friday’ to profile other bloggers or smaller influencers who have been squeezed out because maybe they didn’t buy followers or for giving honest reviews on products that maybe weren’t favourable.’

There have also been accusations that simple Irish begrudgery is at the core of Bloggers Unveiled or it’s just an online Mean Girls Club.

‘I do not begrudge anyone a career or a happy life. However it’s not my place to feed into a false reality, stroking egos and feeding narcissistic behaviours.

‘Lest we forget I am not selling second hand items falsely advertised, I’m not curating insincere content and I would hope that what I am doing will show more vulnerable people this life isn’t real, these women aren’t real, these bodies aren’t real.’

‘Just because you’re not flying first class to an exotic location to stay in an all-expenses paid hotel doesn’t mean you’re not living your best life.

You can live your best life without hanging off another women’s every word and having your own voice and your own opinion. This does not make you a ‘hater’, a begrudger or a bitch.’

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