Kylie and Kendall Jenner reportedly promoted knock-off Apple AirPods on Instagram

• A BBC Click investigation found that Kylie and Kendall Jenner have both promoted knock-off Apple AirPods on Instagram.
• The investigation revealed that dozens of other influencers had promoted fake Apple products, including imitations of both AirPods and the Apple Watch.

Kylie and Kendall Jenner promoted knock-off Apple AirPods on Instagram, a BBC Click investigation found. The two are among "dozens" of influencers and online personalities the BBC found to have promoted fake tech including both imitation AirPods and Apple Watches.

BBC Click reported that influencers who promote the products don't stock them themselves — rather, they post links to online stores where vendors ship products directly from China. These vendors are known as "drop shippers," and they use influencers to promote their products. The report says that the knock off products are typically visually similar to the intended product, but may not function as well and feature alternate brand names.

This isn't the first time that Kylie and Kendall have come under fire for promoting what some have called "tacky" products. Tom Warren, a senior editor at The Verge, tweeted about Kylie promoting fake AirPods on her Instagram story in Nov. 2019, and then again in May 2019, along with Kendall doing the same.

Other allegations of Kylie selling knock-off AirPods have cropped up on places like Reddit's r/RepTronics, a subreddit dedicated to replica electronics, and on TikTok as well.

BBC Click reported that Apple, which says cloned products infringe on its intellectual property rights, is reportedly not leveling a case against the sisters, who declined to comment to the BBC regarding the investigation. Instagram told the BBC that influencers must abide by local laws when promoting brands or participating in paid partnerships using the platform.

Apple also has a portal on its website where people can report suspected counterfeit or knockoff Apple products.

As Business Insider's Kate Taylor reported, AirPods have become an essential style piece for young people, as shown by retailers like ASOS selling non-functional, AirPod-esque earpieces. And, as Business Insider's Lisa Eadicicco reported in July 2019, Apple's wearable products — notably AirPods and the Apple Watch — have become crucial areas of growth for the company, due in part to the fact that AirPods have become status symbols.

• Read more:
• AirPods have become a millennial status symbol, and Apple's earnings suggest they could be its next big thing after the iPhone
• A fast-fashion brand selling fake, nonfunctional 'ear pieces' reveals AirPods' transformation into a milennial style symbol
• Kylie Jenner is receiving backlash for reportedly shipping Stormi a $200,000 pony from the Netherlands
• Kendall Jenner gave a tour of her $8.5 million mansion, which includes an art studio, a 'Hannah Montana'-inspired fitting room, and more