FTC Warns Bloggers on 'Reviewing' Freebies

New media critics must come clean or risk fine

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 5, 2009 4:53 PM CDT

(Newser) – Bloggers, Tweeters, and Facebookers who receive payments or free products from companies and in turn hype or review them—without mentioning the arrangement—could be on the hook for $11,000 in FTC fines. The commission’s new regulations offer clear guidelines on the responsibilities of reviewers working in new media: in short, “the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement.”

The new rules target what has become an increasingly comfortable relationship between producers and seemingly independent bloggers—especially in the “mommy blogger” sector. The regulations also target celebrities who hype freebies on talk shows or Twitter, who could also face fines. Bloggers have pointed out that policing the vast social-media landscape will be a daunting task, CNET notes.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

d (d)

A screenshot from 'The Mommy Blog' (theMommyblog.net)

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The fact is that if someone is paying you to review a product, your readers deserve to know. I think it will provide a lot more clarity to bloggers and their readers.
- The anonymous author of The Marketing Mama blog

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 7 comments

Netstorm2k10

Oct 7, 2009 1:22 AM CDT

You eat a sample of some deli cheese at the grocery store, praise it in the blog you write in every other month, which is read by two people, and the government sends you to jail. Sounds fair.

Snarfeh

Oct 6, 2009 8:54 AM CDT

It won't be so hard to "police" it. People love to catch others at crap like this and they love to tattletale.

cochiserocks

Oct 6, 2009 1:09 AM CDT

I think it is interesting that compliance to some kind of moral code is becoming an essential part of developing trust with consumers - used to be stack em high, sell em cheap, was all there was to it. Now there's so much choice, anyone or thing that appears to filter without bias is a product in itself - much like the old film critics - only they had their own agenda - personal power - I wonder how they'll reconcile that one - only someone who works for free can be trusted? But then if they get famous for their unbiased opinion - can they still be trusted. Power corrupts....

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FTC Warns Bloggers on 'Reviewing' Freebies