Well, here’s another development out of Washington that will likely affect bloggers and SEO copywriting professionals in some form. This past Monday, the FTC announced new regulations for bloggers who endorse or review products.
Bloggers will now have to disclose how much they were paid and who paid them or face penalties of up to $11,000 per instance…ouch!!!
This is the agency’s first update to regulating endorsements in nearly three decades. These new rules will attempt to enhance transparency for corporate payments to bloggers, research firms and celebrities that promote products.
Consumer groups have long had concerns over the lack of disclosure online and have complained consumers have no way of knowing corporate payments to bloggers writing about parenting, fitness, dieting and other products and services.
The FTC stated in a press release announcing the new regulations that “the revised guides specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.”
Blog World and New Media Expo chief executive Rick Calvert says his organization believes bloggers should have to disclose what compensation they receive from companies they write about. However, he said enforcing FTC’s new regulation will be very difficult since “tens of millions of blogs, podcasts and other forms of new media content are out there and growing every day.”
So in that case, it’s hard to know how this new regulation will affect you since it will be nearly impossible to enforce. We’re studying it closely and will post any suggestions on our SEO blog.
And keep abreast of anything coming out of Washington, D.C. that can affect bloggers and online marketing professionals…this is federal government’s first venture into regulating the Internet and there’s sure to be more.