Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (the UOKiK) has fined Express Media PLN 13,000 for misleading readers. Two of the company’s dailies, Express Bydgoski and Nowości – Dziennik Toruński, ran two sponsored articles without labeling them as advertisments. The Authority’s investigation showed that the articles, published for medical services provided by advertisers, did not differ in appearance from editorial content. According to the law, surreptitious advertising involves using editorial content for advertising purposes in mass media, and is an unlawful, unfair market practice. As such, it should be labeled as advertising, the UOKiK maintains.

Express Media ceased the practices in question and had its penalty reduced. The decision is not final, and the company has appealed in court. 

Additional information for the media:
UOKiK Spokesperson Małgorzata Cieloch
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw
Phone.: 22 827 28 92, 55 60 314, 55 60 430
E-mail: [SCODE]bWFsZ29yemF0YS5jaWVsb2NoQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]