FTC to Require 'Ad' Label on All LinkedIn Posts About Founder's Daily Heroics

The Federal Trade Commission today announced a new mandate requiring that all LinkedIn posts detailing a founder’s obviously fabricated daily heroics be clearly designated as an "Advertisement."

The rule targets a growing trend of what the agency calls "implausible personal-brand mythologizing," in which entrepreneurs recount tales of superhuman achievement that defy both logic and the laws of time.

"Consumers are being exposed to narratives that are, for all intents and purposes, works of fiction," explained FTC spokesperson Vera Fye. "When a CEO claims to have closed a nine-figure deal, meditated for two hours, completed an Ironman, and personally mentored an entire generation of at-risk youth before 7 a.m., that is not a real update. That is promotional content."

The move has been met with outrage from the founder community, who argue that the FTC is stifling their ability to share their authentic journeys and preventing them from building in public.

"This is an attack on vulnerability," posted Hugh Bragman, CEO of a pre-revenue thought-leadership startup. "Just last night, I achieved significant strategic growth and positive cash flow opportunities by spending quality time with my family roasting marshmallows. Later, I accessed a dashboard that gave me deep insight into critical business functions by asking my daughter how her day at school was. This isn't an ad; it's a masterclass in work-life integration."

The FTC remains unmoved, stating that any post describing a wholesome family activity in venture-capital terminology will be automatically flagged.

"We are simply asking for transparency," Ms. Fye stated. "If your life sounds less like a real person's and more like the plot of a direct-to-streaming movie about a maverick entrepreneur, it needs a disclaimer."