The FTC recently banned a US firm for the sale of phony likes and followers in a case that might establish a precedent.

German Calas Jr., a businessman from Florida and the owner of the Devumi firm, was fined $2.5 million for selling "false indications of social media impact." As the focus of a well-publicized New York Times inquiry, Devumi made headlines last year.

It was uncovered that Devumi was charging celebrities, companies, and anybody else who wanted to seem famous online for money for Twitter followers and interaction. According to the New York Times, Devumi was able to earn $15 million as a result of doing this.

After that, Devumi closed its doors and eventually reached a settlement with the New York Attorney General's office for $50,000. A $2.5 million fine has now been levied by the FTC, albeit it will be postponed after $250,000 has been paid.

As previously said, this case is very noteworthy since it establishes a precedent for later instances. Lawyers will reference this case in the future to decide what course of action to pursue when a corporation is sued for selling phony likes and follows.

In fact, the New York Attorney General indicated it was suing additional sellers of false social media engagement after the judgment was levied against Devumi.

This ought to discourage businesses from engaging in the sale of false social media influence, if nothing else.