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View Full Version : Starting Dec 1 Bloggers must give full disclosure



Harold Mansfield
10-06-2009, 12:59 AM
It's been a long time coming and I for one am happy to see it. The FTC has ruled that bloggers who engage in paid reviews of products have to disclose it as such.

I for one get music to review all the time, and the occasional product, but I have never been under any obligation to give a good review, nor do I get paid for them...I do get free music though (big deal), and I usually give the electronics away in a contest of some sort.

I am tired of fake testimonials and Pay Per Post type blogs that skew the validity of all bloggers. I think it's a good thing.

Here is the NY Times article about it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/business/media/06adco.html?_r=1

vangogh
10-06-2009, 01:19 AM
I caught the news earlier. Works for me as I don't write paid reviews and even if I did I think it's appropriate to disclose that information.

There are way too many posts that are hawking a product disguised as an informational post. Now to see if the FTC will follow through with the courts when someone inevitably doesn't disclose the fee for the post. It'll also be interesting to see how well things hold up in court.

Harold Mansfield
10-06-2009, 02:09 AM
The article also says they plan to crack down on exaggerated results claims as in weight loss products, but I can't help but hope that also means a crack down on the litter of "Make Money Online" scams that promise easy wealth to people just b y putting up a website.

The first one that comes to mind is that guy Jeff Paul and his "Shortcut to Internet Millions". He is lying on 2 mediums, T.V. and the Internet and the supposed "testimonials" from people who never had any experience with anything online and didn't know how to use a computer, yet claim to be making $10k- $50k a month by using his system is such a load of bull...I can't believe he is allowed to keep running commercials.

If they crack down on that guy, I will be a happy camper.

vangogh
10-06-2009, 02:44 AM
You don't like that guy do you? I think you've mentioned him a number of times.

Maybe this will help clean up some of the obvious scams online. My guess is the scammers will find another way or a loophole to keep going, but if this even gets rid of a few or cleans things up for a time it'll be worth it.

It'll be an interesting development in the link buying community. One way people build links is to pay someone to review their product. They may care less about the review itself as they do about the links in the review. There are some bloggers who have been making part of their living selling links inside of posts. They'll probably move the link sales more underground, but I wonder how it will affect that market.

Harold Mansfield
10-06-2009, 02:51 AM
You don't like that guy do you? I think you've mentioned him a number of times.



Can't stand him. He is selling snake oil to people who don't know any better and taking advantage of ignorance.
What he does is not even embellishment, or creative liberties..he is outright lying to people and portraying it as testimonials from real people and they are not. None of it is true.

Even though in small print it says"Results are not typical of the average user"..he is praying on people.

That is low, and if he were in any other kind of business they would pull him from the airwaves immediately.
They put Tom Vu in jail for that..why not this guy ?
I don't understand how he is allowed to continue to bilk people out of thousands of dollars.

If he were making subtle claims (even though still false) of people starting out making an extra $500 a month or so, it wouldn't get my goat so much, but he is just going right for the kill, "I started using JP's Secret and now I'm making $50k a month"....I mean come on !

vangogh
10-06-2009, 12:23 PM
I know what you mean. He's not the only one to do that of course. You can find things online promising everything for nothing. Even the ones that will let you know in the fine print it's not going to work as described still convey the message that it will.

Most make promises to a lesser extent, but still they're lying. Hopefully the new FTC regulations will be a step in the right direction. These scammers only make it harder on the rest of us.

KristineS
10-06-2009, 12:39 PM
I think this is a good thing and I'm glad to see it. I hate paid bloggers who pretend to be impartial when they have ads for the product they're reviewing all over their site. Blogher is one organization that is bad about this sort of thing. I don't have a problem with people getting paid for reviews, but disclose that, so that people who read what you right can make an honest judgment about how impartial you are.

vangogh
10-06-2009, 01:05 PM
Of course if they were honest then we might not buy the crappy products they're hawking :)

Harold Mansfield
10-06-2009, 01:10 PM
I have a pretty easy rule on my blog and everyone that sends me stuff knows it...if I don't like it, I won't post a review. I'll post the press on it announcing the release, but I won't give a personal opinion.

It's tough when publicists email you and ask if you can review the CD they sent..especially if it's from a big name, and you have to tell them "I really didn't care for it."
I don't want to discourage others from buying it because music is personal and other's may dig it, but they'll have to make that decision...I can't lie. I take Dance Music waayy too seriously.

I have had offers to do paid reviews and turned them down. I figured once I start doing that, my blog is over..may as well just make it a landing page.