Influencer doctors: mapping legal gaps and practical controversies
Mediatization; platformization; Federal Council of Medicine; medical influencers; digital advertising.
Grounded in the field of mediatization studies, this article examines the growing trend of medical graduates turning to digital publicity by producing content for their social media platforms. The study specifically investigates how these professionals use Instagram to promote their services and interrogates the legal boundaries of online advertising by physicians on personal digital channels. It pays particular attention to the ethical parameters established by the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM), as outlined in Resolution No. 2,336/2023. Theoretically, the article engages with ongoing controversies surrounding this practice by drawing on concepts such as mediatization, platformization, digitalization, and algorithmic performativity. Methodologically, it adopts a qualitative approach, combining literature review and document analysis. The study aims to contribute to the broader discussion around the legal and ethical dimensions of content creation by physicians. More broadly, it seeks to situate these practices within the evolving landscape of brazilian digital policy, highlighting the role of the CFM in shaping the regulatory framework governing professional conduct in digital spaces.