Mashable - The Social Media Guide - Latest Comments in FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Henry — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:20:29 -0000

You're a smart cookie. I would think a legal agreement between you and the vendor that stipulates THEY have to pay if you get fined by the FTC should become standard operating procedure for anybody worried about FTC fines. That would in turn cause the vendors to require the bloggers to disclouse things and protect everybody.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Amanya Jacobs — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:37:17 -0000

Good summary of an important new ruling. It makes common and ethical sense to disclose these relationships anyway. It's just good to know how that relates to the FTC. Thank you.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

disqus_e8F79C2Cio — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:04:51 -0000

I'm not sure how Big Brother, ahem, the FTC, plans on actually policing the new advertising disclosure regulations. In the mean time I think think honest bloggers and content publishers can implement a new standard of self regulation. I say we implement and use a set of simple icons to designate paid or unpaid content. I drafted a couple on my blog, to creatively spark someone with the power to be to push something similar out there. If this takes off, perhaps eventually the majority of readers will simply avoid content that isn't self regulated. Again, how do you police those that purposefully proclaim their content to be sponsor free? Maybe the fines should be set significantly higher for that than those for failing to disclose at all.
http://paulbuijs.com/343/lo...

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

adzeds — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:09:44 -0000

I don't think it is long till most coutries have these laws introduced!

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Orion:The Hunter — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:00:31 -0000

Now that Im done laughing, I find it interesting that anyone in Washington would make ME disclose third party relationships, since they are the kings of ulterior motives.

From Wikipedia--"The phrase "The pot calling the kettle black" is an idiom used to accuse a person or thing of being marked with or guilty of the very thing they are pointing out; in this interpretation, it is shown that there is something shared. This may, or may not be hypocritical or contradictory." I guess you be the judge of that.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Jenny — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:36:29 -0000

I don't think the FTC is going to have a clue on how to regulate this. What scares me more is if they try doing it in all the wrong ways. What's the end result going to be for us bloggers?

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Rob — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:15:17 -0000

Ooh, I have a disclosure!: "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Pete — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:29:00 -0000

I find it ironic and massively hypocritical when someone in Washington DC tells us we have to disclose our ulterior motives and/or back room associations.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Name — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:17:54 -0000

ANOTHER completely unenforceable mandate from the idiots in Washington while the whole world is watching and laughing.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Paul Levinson — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:03:38 -0000

Here's my take on this issue http://paullevinson.blogspo...

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

videost — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:20:00 -0000

video izle - cinsellik - video izle - video75

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Mark — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:30:07 -0000

This is impossible for any government system to police...great way to rat on your competitors, though.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

gene_seomachine — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:02:46 -0000

so it would look like: "hey i got $20 bucks to tell you how wonderful this product is, if you don't believe me try it yourself, if you think my opinion is of any value to you...." something like that right?!

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Guest — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:53:53 -0000

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

kristenlsmith — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:05:33 -0000

WOMMA took a leadership role in working directly with the FTC on the revised Guide that was released yesterday. We will be holding a webinar on Thursday to discuss how the Guide affects all aspects of our industry. In addition, WOMMA will provide a summary for members to use for complying with the new standards. WOMMA will also be releasing a guide on what is effective and meaningful disclosure at the Summit and it will be available on our site in late November.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Gemma — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:29:01 -0000

yes there is a youube beauty community.

Two sisters in particular with a huge fan base made up of naive preteens have been lying to them about getting paid to review products by companies and also when they get free products.
There is proof that they get paid for reviews and to this day they constantly come out and LIE saying "Ive never been paid!"
Theres a blog out there discussing them.

http://thettruthabouteb.blo...

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

ConnorJack — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:57:12 -0000

Well, my server is hosted in Texas, but i'm from the UK

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

MagnoliaSouth — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:19:54 -0000

The US government has no say whatsoever on what is located on UK servers, provided it also originated from the UK. However if you regularly post on an American site, I can see there being an issue.

Better to be safe and post to a UK site.

Also I would like to add, it is actually on an ethical side to post disclosure if you're receiving anything in return for your posts. I would be downright angry if I found that a review I thought I could trust, violated my trust with a biased opinion that I wasn't told about.

Just my two cents.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

MagnoliaSouth — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:16:21 -0000

I think that in the end, it's all about revenue in lieu of tax dollars. They just want the ability to smack someone when they get caught, big, as in the Belkin review scandal.

I like the idea, but it needs to be more black and white.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Irrelevant — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:17:00 -0000

It'll be interesting to see what the idjits in the FTC do, when a blogger posts a new product announcement, when the product is parody, as is the 'company' that is allegedly bringing the product to the blogisphere.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Melody O. — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:10:07 -0000

Not sure I really like this new rule. I've never been paid for any blog post (I only blog about Starbucks) but I just see how this could possibly have grey areas not intended by the blog ruling. It's possible. If Starbucks invited me to an event (in my wildest dreams) and I walk out with a free pound of coffee that everyone at that event went to received, then what does that mean?? Have I been "paid"? And then I choose to blog about (they never asked me to) such hypothetical event, does this fall under this? I don't like this. starbucksmelody.com

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Erik Wingren — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:07:54 -0000

What the hell is wrong with all you people rolling over and asking how to comply or just hoping it won't intrude on your web design? Do you not feel the water warming up? Do you not treasure your heritage of liberty? Do you have no pride or testosterone or sense of justice? Do you care that your mom might get hit by an $11,000 fine 'cause she neglects to mention the sample of Tide that came in the mail when she says it's her favorite laundry detergent on her Facebook page?
I've known for a long time what government is about. What is shocking me is what it seems my friends and neighbors and countrymen are about.

And Mr. Ostrow -- It is arbitrary and undefined for a reason. It isn't a mistake. Why make it clear what you can and cannot say, when it is simpler to make people afraid to say anything?

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Alyson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:54:29 -0000

I suppose you must disclose that you were given the bag of granola for free? I'm wondering the same thing as sometimes I am asked to review, as an example, body wash. I receive a $3 bottle of body wash. If I forget to mention I got it for free, they're going to fine me $11k for my $3 bottle of body wash?

And what if I then give the body wash away? That whole nonsense about this not being an offense if you do not keep the item you received is really confusing.

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

Alyson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:51:00 -0000

Couldn't agree more. It's been a LONG time coming. But is Youtube even covered as "bloggers"?

Re: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments

TSavage — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:38:45 -0000

I don't want an upgrade...I want to opt out.