PHILADELPHIA - The Federal Trade Commission will require bloggers to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

It is the first time since 1980 that the commission has revised its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, and the first time the rules have covered bloggers.

But the commission stopped short Monday of specifying how bloggers must disclose any conflicts of interest.

Read the rest of this article here.

Andrea

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|

Interesting. At the moment, I don't have anyone willing to give me anything for blogging, but this is good to know! Thanks Andrea.

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April Sullivan
The REVA Academy

I wonder how this will eventually affect our clients that we blog for and that blog themselves. I will watch to see how this all plays out.

Andrea

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|

I don't believe it should affect clients and those we blog for unless they give out freebies to people who review their blogs.

It is a very interesting topic. I often see a product in review and it will have really bad reviews and then excellent reviews on the same chart and nothing in between. When I see this, I am inclined to think that 'real consumers' rated the product poorly while the paid reviewers went in the other direction with glowing reviews. The diverse points of view is what gives me a clue that the review is tainted.

Janine

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Here is another look at it from a different source:

FTC Values Sponsored Conversations at $11,000 Apiece.
Today, the Federal Trade Commission made good on its

Quote:

threat

promise to change the way it regulates endorsements from bloggers by releasing its final revisions to the guidance it gives advertisers on how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act. Last May, we reviewed the proposed FTC guidelines that will now change the disclosure rules around paid endorsements and testimonials, and thus how brands use online endorsements in their marketing, advertising, and communications programs. Read more here.

Andrea~

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|