With great influence comes great responsibility

Social media celebrities are hotter than ever, but their risk, liability and insurance issues are not well understood.

Remember the good ‘ole days when you would ask kids what they wanted to be when they grew up and chances were good they’d say an astronaut, firefighter or movie star?

Well, ask a kid in 2024 what she wants to be when she grows up, and thanks to the thorough saturation of social media platforms like TikTok, SnapChat and Instagram, that kid may very well say that she wants to be an influencer when she grows up.

An influencer? It’s a word and an idea that a decade ago seemed like a fad. But in fact, today’s social media celebrities are hotter than ever. Thanks to the cross pollination of niche communities on the internet and social-media marketing, today’s digital influencers have built an industry that’s worth millions, and individual influencers hold sway over significant segments of the population.

With all of that influence comes murky and not-well-understood risk, liability and insurance issues.

On this episode of Insurance Speak, Katie Pope, vice president of Executive Lines at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, discusses the increasing need for social-media influencers to carry thorough insurance coverage. Katie recently wrote an article on this topic for PropertyCasualty360.com and elaborates on the issues at play during this podcast conversation.

You can listen to the entire podcast episode above or subscribe to Insurance Speak on SpotifyApple Music or Libsyn.

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