The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) really does want to protect consumers from deceptive advertising, but sometimes it seems like their laws have an opposite effect. This summer, the government agency will issue new advertising guidelines requiring bloggers to disclose when they’re writing about a sponsor’s product and voicing opinions that aren’t their own.
“If you walk into a department store, you know the (sales) clerk is a clerk. Online, if you think that somebody is providing you with independent advice and … they have an economic motive for what they’re saying, that’s information a consumer should know.”
-Rich Cleland , Assistant Director of Advertising Practices for the FTC
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