Celebrities should endorse products mindfully

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case to look into the role of more than two dozen celebrities, including actors, as well as social media influencers and YouTubers, in Telangana as part of a money laundering probe into certain online betting platforms, according to a news agency.

These platforms are alleged to have generated ‘illicit' funds worth crores of rupees through illegal betting and gambling. About 29 celebrities have been booked in this case. Reports stated that they are suspected to have ‘endorsed' online betting apps in return for a fee, according to sources quoted by the agency.

Some celebrities have claimed ignorance earlier, stating that they did not quite know what the brand they were endorsing was doing. The ED is expected to record their statements in the coming days. It is time that celebrities start looking at the brands they endorse and spend time understanding them. It is not enough to simply take a fat cheque and walk away. Their endorsement is affects many lives.

While this is about a certain kind of app, there are other endorsements too. While one may argue that one cannot check everything about a company or group asking for endorsement, these so-called celebrities reeling in the big bucks need to do a minimum of research and background checks. If they do not have the time to do so themselves, their agents or representatives need to do so for them. One cannot profess complete ignorance in many cases, like Ponzi schemes or betting apps, alcohol, tobacco, with their significant adverse ramifications on health, need a deep dive, research and even soul searching before signing the endorsement form. In some cases, ignorance is not bliss; it is merely convenient.