In April 2011, Julia Berolzheimer, a prominent content creator, launched her Instagram account and blog. Over 15 years later, she has successfully established herself in a competitive landscape, accumulating nearly 1.5 million followers on Instagram. Recognized for her influence, particularly on Substack, she has been named one of the top 10 authors in fashion and beauty with her “Trade Offs” posts. Her platform carries significant weight, so when she published a revealing post on Substack in February titled “Instagram Is Stealing Our Content to Sell Knockoffs — and Yours Could Be Next,” it quickly garnered attention. In her post, Berolzheimer claimed that Instagram utilized images she posted to promote products falsely associated with her name. The platform's “Shop the Look” feature was specifically flagged; it suggested products similar to those in her posts but not directly linked to her preferences or endorsements. “When followers click on it, Instagram serves them product suggestions generated by AI,” Berolzheimer explained. “Not my affiliate links. Not brands I chose. Not products I'd recommend.” She emphasized that while her outfits featured carefully chosen pieces from designers she supports, the suggested products were often “cheap knockoffs and random items from brands I've never heard of, attached to my image, under my name.” This revelation came to light only when a follower alerted her, and she learned that this was part of a new test feature being rolled out to select users. Berolzheimer noted that she received no compensation for any sales generated through her images: “They're using my images to sell products for their own profit.”
Credibility at Stake
The controversy surrounding Berolzheimer's claims has also been discussed by Puck, which referred to it as the “Shop the Look” war. The publication pointed out that platforms like Pinterest have long employed similar strategies, and in the case of Meta (which owns Instagram), they have not provided any commission to influencers for sales generated during these testing phases. Moreover, they questioned the terminology of the “Shop the Look” button, as it is typically associated with “influencer culture,” potentially misleading followers into thinking they were accessing personal recommendations from creators. While this new tool has created significant buzz, industry expert Magán explained that Meta frequently tests features that are not universally accessible. These changes are often implemented without clear communication and can range from weeks to months. Some tests are ultimately discarded, while others become standard features. The introduction of the “Shop the Look” button has sparked a reaction among influencers, particularly because it affects commercial interests and visibility, which are not always transparent to creators.
