Technology Liberation Front - Latest Comments in What I Don’t Get about the FTC’s New Blogger Guidelines

Re: What I Don’t Get about the FTC’s New Blogger Guidelines

chez — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:32:54 -0000

I agree, if the FTC is going to police Janet the stay-at-home amateur blogger because she received a free lip gloss and try to hold her to the standards of a professional journalism organization - when this is just a person with a blog and not a publishing company - then she too should be protected under the "First Amendment" excluding her from having to disclosure that she received a $5.99 lip gloss for free.

As the FTC excludes a publication such as Lucky Magazine or Glamour who have beauty section that feature and recommend products with no written disclosure that they received these items gratis. Most consumers are very educated and they are going to search and read many reviews on a particular product before they purchase, not just Janet's. And if Janet is smart and appreciates her readership she will be truthful and honest with her blog followers or risk losing her audience down the road.

The majority of blog readers are not stupid and if they see too many "glowing" reviews and a lot of advertising on your website they will figure out that you are being compensated. The 3 or 4 you find with good reviews, you are bound to find some that will tell you otherwise. There is balance out here in the cyberspace, it does work itself out without the need for 81 pages of burdensome regulations from the FTC and you better believe somebody is pulling that regulation apart as we speak and working on the loop-holes!

Re: What I Don’t Get about the FTC’s New Blogger Guidelines

mwendy — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:41:16 -0000

I'm not familiar with the process by which one files such a claim. I guess it would have to conform to the APA - sort of like a petition to the FTC. Or, the FTC does it on its own. Does anyone know - or is it, they know it when they see it?

Re: What I Don’t Get about the FTC’s New Blogger Guidelines

mwendy — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:26:39 -0000

Shouldn't the reputation of the blogger be enough to "police" this? If he / she puts smack out into the blogosphere, aren't there enough voices to smack that smack down?

"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech..." How far we've come. Policymakers append a compelling or substantial state interest to the questioned speech, then "narrowly tailor" a speech rule, and the 1st Amendment's clear limitation gets read out of the Constitution. I know, this game has been going on for some time. That doesn't make it right.

Wonder where our buddies at the "Free Press" are on this?

Re: What I Don’t Get about the FTC’s New Blogger Guidelines

Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:08:20 -0000

Creating a token print version was one idea I jokingly suggested in one of the podcasts I've done on this topic.

Simply print out all your blog posts and mail yourself a copy, perhaps sell a few for a penny to friends.

It's a print version. There's circulation. Technically would fit the description of a print publication, yes?

It's silly, but it highlights the ambiguity and loopholes you can drive trucks through on this set of guidelines.