Beginning Dec. 1, bloggers will be required to disclose any "
material connections" (i.e. payments or freebies) they receive from companies whose products they review. I want to state right now that I have never been comped a meal, nor taken payment or gifts, in exchange for a positive review. (Or a negative one, for that matter.) Basically, I have paid for everything myself.
Additionally, if I say I like a product or a restaurant, it's because I honestly do, not because anyone asked me to make that claim. The purpose of this blog is not to mislead readers, but to encourage them to try the places and things with which I have had a positive experience. It's all about integrity, and apparently the FTC doesn't think bloggers have much of that.
I read about this also and it's just absurd. First of all, these rules are completely unenforceable. Is the FTC going to hire a bunch of people to read blogs and investigate whether or not I got a book that I reviewed for free??
ReplyDeleteSeriously, the FTC needs to worry about the Right Wing encouraging the violent overthrow of our government - not what you and I blog about.
XOXOXOXOXO