Tags : blogging, blogs, controversies, federal trade commission, FTC, ftc to fine bloggers, stupid
Fines Coming For Bloggers, Celebrities Who Don’t Disclose Endorsements
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will soon begin fining bloggers and celebrities who endorse products unless they disclose any and all “material connections,” such as payments or free products. The controversial new rules come as the FTC updates its advertising rules for the first time since 1980.
“Under the revised Guides, advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as typical when that is not the case will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect,” the FTC said in a statement. “The post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.”
“The revised Guides also make it clear that celebrities have a duty to disclose their relationships with advertisers when making endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media,” the FTC added.
The rules will likely come into effect across several platforms online, including Google’s popular blogging platform, social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, and microblogging sites like Twitter.
[Image]
Related posts:
