How Far Can Brands Go When Asking an Influencer to Delete a Post?
This article was automatically translated from the Japanese original. Read the original in Japanese
Since the post belongs to the influencer, the final decision on whether to delete it must rest with them. All a brand can do is explain its reasons and request deletion—it cannot force the deletion itself. The post is an asset on the influencer's own account, and unless it violates a contractual agreement, the authority to delete it lies with the influencer.
Why Must the Final Decision on Deletion Rest with the Influencer?
A post is not advertising material created by the brand—it is content that exists on the influencer's own account. If a brand assumes it can unilaterally delete a post, this suggests a relationship closer to employment than to a collaborative partnership. Brands and influencers operate as equal partners, and it's essential to share the understanding that the final authority over deletion belongs to the influencer.
How Should Brands Make a Request for Deletion?
When requesting deletion, brands should specifically explain what the problem is and why they believe deletion is necessary. As discussed in How to Handle a Delayed Publication Date for a Sponsored Post, issuing a unilateral instruction without explaining the reason damages trust with the influencer. Rather than saying "please delete this," the standard practice is to phrase it as "could you delete this for the following reason?"
What If the Influencer Doesn't Agree to Delete the Post?
If the influencer doesn't agree to delete the post, the brand has no choice but to follow the terms set out in the contract. As discussed in What to Do If a Sponsored Post Goes Live Without a PR Disclosure, how content issues are handled depends heavily on how the contract was designed beforehand. Clearly specifying in advance the conditions under which deletion can be requested reduces friction when such requests arise later.
What Can Be Done in Advance to Reduce Deletion Requests?
Post-publication deletion requests often stem from insufficient pre-publication checks. As discussed in How Far Can You Go When Requesting Corrections from an Influencer?, thoroughly conducting the pre-publication review process is the most reliable way to reduce deletion requests after a post goes live.
The premise that deletion cannot be forced isn't an inconvenience—it's simply the form a collaborative relationship takes when it's built on trust with the influencer. Designing agreements with this premise in mind in advance is the surest way to minimize trouble down the line.