Saturday, October 17, 2009
Disclaimer!
I am not compensated in any way for my articles/reviews on Facebook, this blog, my personal websites or any site which posts my articles/reviews. No cash, no advance copies/screenings, no freebies. Are you happy now, FTC?
In case you missed it, the Federal Trade Commission has decided that bloggers must state whether they are being paid for their articles mentioning specific products. Here's a link:
FTC - Bloggers Must Disclose Payments for Reviews
This is asinine, if only because journalists in newspapers can review to their heart's content without revealing whether they receive anything for endorsing a product. Do you think a literary critic actually peruses the bookstore and pays cash for the latest potential bestseller? No, the publisher sends them an advance copy.
Secondly, how on earth is the FTC gonna enforce this? Hire thousands of staff to patrol Facebook to see if anyone was paid to say what is on their personal profile page? Put bloggers in jail? Puh-lease!
The ruling takes effect December 1st, but why avoid the rush? Bloggers, start your disclaimers!
In case you missed it, the Federal Trade Commission has decided that bloggers must state whether they are being paid for their articles mentioning specific products. Here's a link:
FTC - Bloggers Must Disclose Payments for Reviews
This is asinine, if only because journalists in newspapers can review to their heart's content without revealing whether they receive anything for endorsing a product. Do you think a literary critic actually peruses the bookstore and pays cash for the latest potential bestseller? No, the publisher sends them an advance copy.
Secondly, how on earth is the FTC gonna enforce this? Hire thousands of staff to patrol Facebook to see if anyone was paid to say what is on their personal profile page? Put bloggers in jail? Puh-lease!
The ruling takes effect December 1st, but why avoid the rush? Bloggers, start your disclaimers!
Comments:
I haven't read all of it, but the rules don't just apply to bloggers - they apply to anybody doing journalism or offering opinions I think. So the free book the guy writes about needs to be disclosed too. And if the celebrity says "I love this blah blah" then the advertisement has to say if they're paid (or otherwise compensated) for saying they love it.
I think the rules are good. I doubt the FTC is really interested in anybody who isn't high profile, but the line between "blogger" and "journalist" are very blurry (is Boing Boing jouralism or blogging? LifeHacker? Think of any blog with hundreds of thousands of readers) and if those high profile blogs are saying stuff is cool because they're paid to say it, we deserve to know that.
So I actually think these rules are good. I don't disagree with you that they could be abused in certain ways to go after tinsy bloggers like you and me, but I really don't think that would happen - who would it help anyway? It's not like they'd get money sueing us!!!!
Hugs,
r
I think the rules are good. I doubt the FTC is really interested in anybody who isn't high profile, but the line between "blogger" and "journalist" are very blurry (is Boing Boing jouralism or blogging? LifeHacker? Think of any blog with hundreds of thousands of readers) and if those high profile blogs are saying stuff is cool because they're paid to say it, we deserve to know that.
So I actually think these rules are good. I don't disagree with you that they could be abused in certain ways to go after tinsy bloggers like you and me, but I really don't think that would happen - who would it help anyway? It's not like they'd get money sueing us!!!!
Hugs,
r
# posted by 
: 5:54 AM
: 5:54 AM
this is OUT - Flipping RAGEOUS!
OMG! Thank you for, as always, keeping us up to speed! KAH
OMG! Thank you for, as always, keeping us up to speed! KAH
# posted by : 8:06 AM
: 8:06 AM
Seriously?! Thanks for posting this. I'm so glad to know that you're not receiving compensation for your thoughts. I was worried for a while that you might be getting free Disneyland tickets for blogging. ;) Good grief!
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