The Federal Trade Commission of the United States has ruled that selling or buying social media followers or engagements (such as likes) is illegal. In the first-ever ruling of this kind, a Florida businessman was fined $2.5 million for faking “indicators of social media influence.”

Additionally, the FTC has also ruled that posting fake reviews (either on a company’s website or social media) is illegal. Although the parties involved in this lawsuit (Sunday Riley and Sephora) ultimately settled, the FTC’s decision sets a precedent for how future violations may be handled.