Time WarnerInc. unit Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. reached a settlementwith the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over claims that it failed to provideadequate disclosure about using online influencers to promote video game"Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor."

According to a July 11 official news release, the FTCsettlement makes it mandatory for Warner Bros. to use such disclosures andbarred it from misrepresenting that "sponsored content, including gameplayvideos, are the objective, independent opinions of video game enthusiasts orinfluencers."

The complaint stems from a Warner Bros. online marketingcampaign in 2014 under which its advertising agency Plaid Social Labs LLC hiredonline "influencers," including "PewDiePie," to postpositive gameplay videos on social media platforms. The sponsored videosreceived more than 5.5 million views.