So the federal trade commision is saying your have to disclose if your getting paid to write a review on somthing but not how much. What do you think and will anybody follow this new law or will it be like j walking or talking on your phone in the car while driving. I dont like this new law it really its really stupid because when disclose that information people dont trust you and you will end up losing readers. Although the FTC cant enforce this they are not highering anybody to do this and they said themselfs that there are to many bloggers for them to regulate this. In the end i think this is a matter of what the people think and not the FTC and there silly laws. How about they stop the next Bernie madolf and stop worrying about bloggers to me this is more like a limit on free speech rather then protecting consumers.
Yeah it worries me a bit, like maybe future laws will restrict other forms of advertising or regulate it in some way, somehow might end up affecting Adsense too......
Seems to be that though 1984 is 25 years late, what George Orwell's envisions seem to be coming true.
First, there is no new law. The FTC does not make laws, only Congress makes laws. Second, what is the problem? It is common sense to require disclosures. I have yet to hear anybody articulate what is the problem.
Because now people wont want to buy from us because we look like were trying to profit and some people hate that and will leave and even trash your reputation.
What is it that you are doing? Put a general disclaimer on your site explaining what you do. This should be an easy fix for most people. Most web visitors will never read it and you will be a-okay with the FTC. I really don't understand what you think this changes for your business? p.s. Aren't you trying to profit?
it is causing a lot of lab testing to take place to supply data for health landers as far as testimonials go, the public is pretty used to seeing "paid actor" or "results may vary" and other disclaimers.
What the FTC has posted are merely guidelines to follow in order to comply with the original act of fair trade.
This is stupid you see celeberties getting paid to promote products they wouldnt directly use right. Why not regulate that. Or like at highschools the popular kids are paid money to wear clothes and tell their friends to wear it. You see why this makes no sence.
Certain disclosures are already required. But this new rule specifically includes celebrity endorsements: • Celebrity endorsers can now be held liable for false or unsubstantiated claims that they make. Celebrities also have a new 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.
How can they stop this I use ______ myself and i love it, _____ has become my number one product for ______ . I hope you will purchase _______ today.
If you are lying, it is fraud. Do you understand that? Do you have a problem lying to people? Some people have limited morals and ethics and it is reflected in the way they do business. Some people think, and have been taught, that it is okay to lie. I have no sympathy for those people if they have to stop lying and it hurts their business.
I plan to place a Disclaimer Policy Link on all of my websites over the next few weeks/months starting with the blogs, I guess. Then visitors can click on the link and read my policy (not yet completely formulated), if they so desire. This is like the privacy policy that we all have had to add or update on our websites. Do these get read - I doubt it, but they are legal protection, just in case... It is a pain to do this, if you have hundreds of websites/pages. But that is what business must do... Start with your most important sites first...
What if the "sponsoring products" on your site originate from the US? Also don't be surprised if the EU and Great Britain, etc., come up with similar requirements. To me this is like the fine print that occurs on all sorts of purchase documents - does anyone really read that stuff? I mean did you read all the fine print when you got your first credit card? Most visitors and buyers won't look at this policy, but there are law suit happy people everywhere. Having this policy on your sites, you have one more layer of legal protection that might keep you out of trouble one day. Yes, it is a hassle, especially when you have to go back and update sites...
All it does is try to force people to do things ethically. Over the past several years ethics have been seriously declining, especially on the internet. I have always done all my forms of business ethically. And as browntwn said, I have no problem with forcing people to be ethical and tell the truth.
Mashable.com was talking about how this might even affect tweets. This is really another BS scare tactic, reminiscent of when the RIAA went after MP3 uploaders. How are they ever going to enforce it? They can't, unless they just hit people at random.
It is common to see advertisements in magazines that are designed to look like an article. They are required to print a disclaimer on the page alerting readers that it is in fact an advertisement and not an article. The same thing applies to "paid actor" notices in TV commercials. It was only a matter of time before this regulation hit the internet, and it is much needed. IMO you are safe as long as advertisements are clearly distinguishable from commentary.
Just a friendly note for the a-hole who left me a negative rating: Is it really? So, for decades, everyone has been unethical every time they reviewed a product, wrote a blog post, wrote an article, appeared in a commercial, did a radio bit, etc? Here on the internet, people make their own decisions about product reviews. Either they believe them, or they don't. It's called the free internet, jerkoff. Grow some balls, get a clue and reveal yourself if you dare