Influencers on notice as regulator takes aim at advertising on TikTok not being transparent - after streamer's glowing workout supplement posts

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 15:52, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 15:57, 12 August 2026 Australia's advertising regulator has called out an influencer and supplement company for failing to disclose what appeared to be a blatant ad on social media. The Australian Association of National Advertisers issued a notice to TikTok after a user, Draven, shared the video on June 25. The video, which hasn't been removed, showed Draven using a powder by supplement company OxyShred. He started the clip by claiming he drank a can of OxyShred, containing about 113mg of caffeine, 'every single day' because it made him 'feel amazing'. He then showed an Oxyshred powder and claimed it had replaced his daily energy drink. 'Not only do these taste amazing, they give me the exact same feeling as the cans do,' Draven said. 'These are perfect. It kickstarts your metabolism. And it's how I stay shredded year-round.' A community panel for Ad Standards last month ruled the video was an ad because 'the influencer repeatedly showed the product' and 'frequently said the product was 'amazing''. The Australian Association of National Advertisers claimed a video on TikTok was an ad which user Draven (above) hadn't disclosed 'Influencer and affiliate marketing often appears alongside organic/genuine user-generated content and is often less obvious to the audience,' it said.  'Where an influencer or affiliate accepts payment of money or free products or services from a brand in exchange for them to promote that brand's products or services, the relationship must be clear, obvious and upfront to the audience and expressed in a way that is easily understood. 'For example, '#ad, Advert, Advertising, Branded Content, Paid Partnership, Paid Promotion'.' Several commenters under Draven's video similarly believed it to be an undisclosed advertisement. 'How much they paying you?' one wrote. 'Almost convinced me until I realised it was an ad,' another said. The panel wrote: 'While the post appeared to promote this product, there was no mention of the fact that it was intended to serve as advertising.' Ad Standards determined the video was a violation of the AANA Code of Ethics but OxyShred did not respond to the decision. Influencer Draven (above) shared an apparent ad for an Oxyshred product on June 25 A copy of the verdict was also shared with TikTok but, almost a month later, the video remained online. Draven has shared several more videos about OxyShred products since the clip on June 25 but none were labelled ads or paid partnerships. It's unclear if the influencer is sponsored by the company or is simply a fan of its products. The Daily Mail has contacted the owner of OxyShred, EHPlabs, and Draven for comment.