FTC Cracking Down on Paid Posts

[Lambo]

Blogola: The FTC Takes On Paid Posts - BusinessWeek

This summer, the government agency is expected to issue new advertising guidelines that will require bloggers to disclose when they're writing about a sponsor's product and voicing opinions that aren't their own. The new FTC guidelines say that blog authors should disclose when they're being compensated by an advertiser to discuss a product.

Not a bad read, also talks about how it won't do jack, and how G has more influence on this by doing things like downgrading paid posts in search results.

 

[S M W]

Hmmmm. What if my server is in Canada?

 

[Sonny Forelli]

psst- following the rules isn't that hard.

Just look at TV. Went through the same thing- so now you have T's and C's / legalese covered. You think anyone in the target demos reads that and cares? Nope.

Often playing by the rules is a lot easier than spending hours scheming to get around them.

 

[Firelead]

^^^ 100% agree

 

[itchy]

Often playing by the rules is a lot easier than spending hours scheming to get around them.

agree. lets hope we don't all need lawyers to decipher the rules though.

 

[aeisn]

psst- following the rules isn't that hard.

Just look at TV. Went through the same thing- so now you have T's and C's / legalese covered. You think anyone in the target demos reads that and cares? Nope.

Often playing by the rules is a lot easier than spending hours scheming to get around them.

Terms and conditions won't protect you from everything though, especially when they are in white in size 6 font on a gray background.

 

[Sonny Forelli]

Terms and conditions won't protect you from everything though, especially when they are in white in size 6 font on a gray background.

uh - right. So don't put them in white on a gray background. I could tell someone to their face how much acai was going to cost them monthly being perfectly upfront- and STILL close the sale.

Those who can't sell hide behind sketchy bullshit. Those who can- follow the rules.

You'd be suprised how easy it is to play by the rules versus spending hours and hours trying to find a way around. Improve your selling, improve your site design, improve your game and simply follow the regulations as per what your attorneys recommend.

 

[unfadable858]

you have to hide it. A small amount of people want to be rebilled 80 something bones in a recession.

 

[Sticks79]

Don't do drugs... err I mean blogs!

 

[unfadable858]

que?

 

[bprimeelite]

Rebills will be cracked down on hard next. I don't see anything wrong with paid posts as long as there is full disclosure. Same thing as talk shows such as the Today Show getting paid 250k to try out and talk about a product.