How does the Trust Score works?
CICCA Trust Score (CTS)
Score Basics
Score range: 300–900
Starting score: 900 (clean record)
The score only goes down when incidents are confirmed, and slowly recovers over time.
| Score | Status |
| 800–900 | Excellent standing |
| 700–799 | Good standing |
| 600–699 | Watchlist |
| 500–599 | High risk |
| <500 | Restricted |
Who Is Scored
- Influencers / creators (5k+ combined platforms)
- Brands
- Agencies
Same system, same rules.
Incident Reporting Form (Core Input)
Every report must include:
Mandatory Fields
- Reporting party (verified CICCA member)
- Accused party
- Incident category
- Date(s)
- Evidence upload (required)
- Financial value involved (if applicable)
- Was it resolved? (yes/no)
Incident Categories & Weighting
CATEGORY A — Contract & Payment Issues
| Incident | Score Impact |
| Late payment (≤30 days) | –20 |
| Late payment (31–60 days) | –40 |
| Non-payment (>60 days) | –80 |
| Missed deliverable | –30 |
| Unauthorized content usage | –70 |
| Contract breach | –100 |
CATEGORY B — Professional Misconduct
| Incident | Score Impact |
| Unprofessional communication | –20 |
| Public shaming / callouts | –40 |
| Repeated ghosting | –40 |
| False claims about collaboration | –60 |
CATEGORY C — Platform & Legal Risk
| Incident | Score Impact |
| Missing #ad disclosure | –30 |
| Platform policy violation | –50 |
| Repeated violations | –100 |
| Misleading advertising | –120 |
CATEGORY D — Ethical & Safety Violations
| Incident | Score Impact |
| Harassment or threats | –120 |
| Hate or discriminatory conduct | –180 |
| Fraud / scam behavior | –250 |
| Retaliation against reporting party | –300 |
CATEGORY E — Audience Integrity Violations
Incident Types & Base Penalties
| Incident | Score Impact |
| Minor fake follower inflation (<10%) | –40 |
| Moderate fake followers (10–25%) | –80 |
| Significant fake followers (25–50%) | –150 |
| Severe manipulation (>50%) | –250 |
| Purchased engagement (likes/comments/views) | –120 |
| Repeated manipulation after warning | –300 |
Evidence Requirements (Very Important)
A fake follower incident cannot be filed casually.
Acceptable Evidence
- 2+ independent audit tools (e.g. HypeAuditor, Modash, Social Blade patterns)
- Timestamped screenshots
- Sudden follower spikes with no corresponding reach
- Proof of purchased services (invoices, DMs, platform reports)
Burden of proof is on the reporter.
Severity Multipliers (Applied Normally)
Intent / Bad Faith
- Unintentional / legacy followers → ×0.8
- No explanation / denial → ×1.0
- Proven purchase or manipulation → ×1.5
Recurrence
- First verified incident → ×1.0
- Second within 24 months → ×1.4
- Third+ → ×1.8
Resolution & Score Recovery
Fake follower incidents are recoverable, but not instantly.
Accepted Remediation Actions
- Removal of fake followers
- Platform clean-up confirmation
- Public correction to brands affected
- No recurrence for defined period
| Resolution Action | Score Recovery |
| Followers cleaned within 30 days | +30% |
| Full remediation + 6 months clean | +50% |
| Repeat offense | 0% recovery |
Severe cases (>50%) trigger a recovery freeze for 6–12 months.
Visibility Rules (Same Framework)
| Viewer | What They See |
| Public | Status band only |
| Members | Score + “Audience Integrity Flag” |
| CICCA Admin | Full audit evidence |
No public % numbers → avoids public shaming and legal exposure.
Abuse & Fairness Safeguards
To prevent abuse:
- Fake-follower reports require higher evidence threshold
- False or malicious audit reports → –150 to reporter
- Automated mass-reporting blocked
Recurrence
- First occurrence → ×1.0
- 2nd within 12 months → ×1.3
- 3rd+ within 24 months → ×1.6
Bad Faith Indicator
- Cooperation → ×0.8
- Neutral → ×1.0
- Proven bad faith → ×1.5
Resolution Logic (Score Clawback)
Resolved incidents recover part of the score:
| Resolution Outcome | Score Recovery |
| Fully resolved within 14 days | +50% of penalty |
| Resolved within 60 days | +30% |
| Resolved after 60 days | +10% |
| Not resolved | 0% |
CATEGORY F — Misinformation & Fake News
This category applies to influencers, brands, agencies, and media companies.
It covers the creation, amplification, or monetization of false or misleading information presented as fact, where harm, deception, or public risk is demonstrated.
Important:
Opinion, satire, personal beliefs, or clearly labeled speculation are NOT incidents.
Incidents require verifiable falsehood + evidence of impact or negligence.
Incident Types & Base Penalties
| Incident | Score Impact |
| Sharing false information without verification (low impact) | –40 |
| Amplifying debunked misinformation after correction | –80 |
| Monetized misinformation (paid post, affiliate, sponsorship) | –120 |
| Coordinated or repeated misinformation | –180 |
| Health, safety, or election-related misinformation | –250 |
| Deliberate fabrication presented as fact | –300 |
Evidence Requirements (Mandatory)
A misinformation incident must include:
- Credible third-party verification (fact-checkers, court rulings, platform enforcement, reputable media)
- Timestamped content (post, video, story, article)
- Proof the information is false or materially misleading
- Proof of reach or impact (views, shares, monetization, paid amplification)
Burden of proof is on the reporter.
Severity Multipliers (Applied Normally)
Intent
- Prompt correction / disclaimer added → ×0.7
- No response or neutral → ×1.0
- Proven intent to deceive → ×1.5
Reach / Impact
- <10k reach → ×1.0
- 10k–100k → ×1.25
- 100k–1M → ×1.5
- 1M → ×2.0
Recurrence
- First incident → ×1.0
- Second within 24 months → ×1.4
- Third+ → ×1.8
Resolution & Score Recovery
Misinformation incidents are recoverable, except for deliberate fabrication.
Accepted Remediation Actions
- Public correction or retraction
- Content removal
- Clear clarification to audience
- Cooperation with review
| Resolution Action | Score Recovery |
| Corrected within 48h | +50% |
| Corrected within 14 days | +30% |
| Corrected after 14 days | +10% |
| Deliberate fabrication | 0% |
Severe incidents (health, elections, safety) trigger a 6–12 month recovery freeze.
Time-Based Recovery (Credit Bureau Style)
No incidents = slow score healing.
- +5 points per clean month
- Max recovery per year: +60
- Severe incidents (Category D) lock recovery for 6–12 months
Visibility & Fairness Safeguards
What’s Visible
- Public: Status band only (Excellent / Watchlist / High Risk)
- Members: Exact score + category counts
- CICCA Admin: Full incident records
No public incident details → defamation-safe.
Abuse Prevention (Critical)
To prevent weaponization:
- Reporter must be verified
- Evidence mandatory
- False reports penalized (–100 to reporter)
- Pattern of malicious reporting → suspension
Canadian Influencers & Content Creators Association 