“The creation of the Influencer Certificate stems from the need to professionalize influencer marketing”, said Cathy Pill – CEO of Stellar Tech as it’s no secret: the influencer marketing landscape is evolving more rapidly than ever, and there is a pressing need for greater professionalization and transparency. Belgium has just taken a significant step forward in this direction with the launch of its first-ever Influencer Certificate in October 2025 – and Stellar Tech is proud to be the exclusive technology partner powering this groundbreaking initiative.
Raising the bar for influencer marketing ethics
The Belgian Influencer Certificate represents more than just a training program; it’s a collaborative effort to transform the entire influencer ecosystem. Initiated by the Influencer Marketing Alliance (IMA) and the Belgian Advertising Council (RR-CP), with JEP (Jury d’Éthique Publicitaire – Advertising Ethics Jury) as the ethics and monitoring collaborator, this certificate sets new standards for transparency, responsibility, and professionalism in Belgium’s influencer marketing landscape.
"We firmly believe that professionalizing influencer marketing is essential in building a sustainable and ethical ecosystem. This certification is a key step toward ensuring quality and credibility in the influencer space, allowing brands and creators to work with more transparency and trust [...] to set high standards for influencer marketing in Belgium."
Belgium’s approach stands out for its collaborative methodology: influencers and content creators were involved from the very beginning in shaping both the content and the approach.
As Kel Wouters, Interim President of IMA, explains: “We brought together influencers, agencies, brands, and legal experts in working groups to ensure that all perspectives were heard and integrated. This makes our certificate not only compliant with European standards but also highly practical and tailored to the specific needs of the Belgian market.”
At its core, the Belgian Influencer Certificate is a practical and accessible tool for creators who want to engage in more transparent and ethical content practices. Any influencer, regardless of follower size, can earn a certification by completing an online training and passing an exam focused on advertising rules and ethical standards. For €49, with a discounted renewal fee each year, creators not only receive recognition but also benefit from ongoing content monitoring by JEP, in collaboration with Stellar, ensuring continued alignment with both legal requirements and ethical commitments. This isn’t a one-off badge – it’s the base for an on-going standard designed to professionalize and elevate influencer marketing across the board.
And Belgium isn’t alone. From Paris to Dubai, new frameworks are emerging to define what “responsible influence” means in practice — and they’re all moving in the same direction: transparency by design.
Influencer certificates around the world: a new standard for transparency
Authenticity has always been the heart of influencer marketing. And now, it’s being written into the rules all over the world.
In France, the ARPP reviewed nearly 200,000 influencer posts and found that 84% now include a commercial disclosure – a sign that transparency is no longer an afterthought but part of the culture. Belgium followed with the launch of its national Influencer Certificate.
Similar initiatives are spreading fast. The EU Digital Fairness Act is coming, and national bodies like Werberat in Germany or Autocontrol in Spain are turning ethical principles into practical frameworks. Outside Europe, the UK’s ASA, the US FTC, and the UAE’s licensing model are all moving in the same direction.
Quick snapshot of influencer certificates across the world: who, what, where, and why
Country | Program | Operated by | Legal status | Format | Cost | Adoption/impact |
Influencer Certificate | IMA + JEP (Advertising Ethics Jury) | Voluntary, endorsed by national ad bodies | e-learning + test (70 % pass) | €49/year | Launched Oct 2025 – Recognised by brands & regulators | |
Responsible Influence Certificate | ARPP | Voluntary, industry-standard | e-learning + exam | ~€80 | > 2,200 certified – 76 % compliant vs 51 % (non-certified) | |
Influencer Training | Deutscher Werberat (ZAW) + EASA | Voluntary | Online course + test | Free (first 50) then ~€50 + VAT | Growing adoption | |
Influencing Responsibly training | ASA / CAP | Voluntary | eLearning + webinars | Free / low cost | Strong promotion / high awareness | |
FTC Endorsement Guides | Federal Trade Commission | Legal obligation (disclosure rules) | – | Free | Updated 2023 | |
Certificado de capacitación básica | Autocontrol + IAB Spain + AEA | Voluntary (launched Jun 2025) | e-learning + evaluation | Free (first 500) then ~€25-50 | Emerging initiative | |
Media Influencer Licence | National Media Council + local trade licence | Mandatory | Licence application | AED 1,000 (~€240) + business licence (~AED 15,000) | Required / fines for non-licensed creators | |
Nordics (SE/NO/DK) | National advertising guidelines | Consumer agencies | Legal enforcement (no certificate) | – | – | Under review (Sweden 2025 updates) |
Across markets, one pattern stands out: the move from self-declaration to verified responsibility.
Stellar Tech's strategic role: when technology meets compliance
While education and certification form the foundation of this initiative, effective monitoring and verification are crucial for its long-term success.
And as certification programs expand globally, platforms like Stellar become the backbone for real accountability, turning ethical principles into operational reality.
"The selection of Stellar Tech as the exclusive technology partner was based on rigorous evaluation criteria. After several meetings with the Belgian Advertising Council and the JEP, Stellar was selected because they met all the criteria needed to make the monitoring a success. Beyond meeting all technical requirements, Stellar is really an ambassador for our sector and truly invested in professionalizing influencer marketing."
Our role as the exclusive technology partner encompasses three critical functions:
- Content monitoring for compliance: Stellar’s platform enables JEP to monitor content published by certified creators in real-time, ensuring ongoing compliance with certification rules and advertising standards. This automated monitoring capability provides scalable oversight that would be impossible to achieve manually across thousands of creators and pieces of content.
- Creator identification and discovery: Beyond monitoring, Stellar’s platform helps the IMA identify creators who may be interested in pursuing certification thanks to our comprehensive creator database and AI-powered analytics. This ensures visibility of creators who demonstrate ethical practices and professional standards, essentially helping to grow the pool of certified talent.
- Enhanced visibility and verification for our clients: Perhaps most importantly for the ecosystem, certified creators will be clearly identified within Stellar’s platform with a dedicated certification label. This means our clients (brands, agencies, and media companies) can immediately identify and prioritize certified profiles when planning campaigns, creating a tangible business advantage for influencers who obtained the Belgian certificate, but also those with the certificate from ARRP and Influencerregels.com.
Driving real value across the ecosystem
The certificate program, priced accessibly at €49 for the first year with reduced renewal rates, is designed to benefit all stakeholders in the influencer marketing value chain:
- For creators: The certification provides professional credibility, potential protection from regulatory fines, and preferential consideration from brands seeking ethical partnerships. As one certified influencer noted during the development process, it’s about proving “we are professionals” to government institutions and industry partners alike.
- For brands and agencies: Working with certified influencers reduces compliance risks and demonstrates commitment to ethical marketing practices. The clear identification of certified creators in Stellar’s platform streamlines the vetting process and supports more confident partnership decisions.
- For the industry: This initiative contributes to the broader professionalization of influencer marketing, helping to establish industry standards that protect both consumers and creators while fostering sustainable growth.
Our CMO & COO Sarah Levin Weinberg advocates strongly for the new influencer certificate and states:
"[...] by becoming certified, you are not just proving your professionalism - you are investing in the future of influencer marketing in Belgium. [...]. Also for brands and agencies this offers a holistic approach to learn more about ethical standards within the creator space.
A model for European leadership
Belgium’s approach draws inspiration from successful auto-regulated initiatives in France by ARPP or Influencerregels.com in the Netherlands, but its collaborative methodology and technology-enabled monitoring set a new standard for effectiveness and scale.
In France, for example, ARPP has already certified more than 2,200 creators through its Certificat de l’Influence Commerciale Responsable. Its Observatoire de l’Influence Responsable continues to analyze creators’ practices – now enhanced by AI – and its latest edition was published on September 30th.
The program’s design also positions it for European expansion, with endorsement from the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) providing credibility across European markets. This aligns perfectly with Stellar Tech’s vision of building Europe’s leading influencer marketing solutions.
As the EU prepares to roll out the Digital Fairness Act, initiatives like these pave the way for a harmonised, technology-supported framework for responsible influence.
The future of ethical influencer marketing
The next frontier isn’t just about education; it’s about data-driven responsibility. With Stellar’s monitoring and discovery capabilities, ethics can now scale.
As Kel Wouters notes, “Technology can play a key role in making the influencer ecosystem more transparent and ethical. It allows us to monitor compliance in a consistent, scalable way, while also providing influencers, agencies, and brands with clear insights into best practices.”
This partnership represents more than a single certification program: it’s a blueprint for how technology can enable industry self-regulation and professional development at scale. By combining comprehensive education with sophisticated monitoring capabilities, we’re creating a framework that supports sustainable growth while maintaining the authenticity and creativity that make influencer marketing so powerful.
The Belgian Influencer Certificate launched this October, and we’re excited to support its success through our platform capabilities. For brands and agencies looking to work with certified, compliant creators, this initiative represents a significant step forward in building trust and transparency in influencer partnerships.
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