FTC to Monitor Bloggers?
photo credit: cliff1066
According to Work at Home Chuck, the FTC planning to monitor bloggers:
Supposedly this would only mean that bloggers would have to be identified as “paid endorsers”. Does that mean people who receive free samples of books to review have are “paid”? Will it relate to affiliate links? Will Google’s AdSsense have to be clearer about saying “PAID ADVERTISING”?Who knows? As with all such regulation, it’s pushed through without regard to “unintended consequences”.
It might not be a bad idea in theory. Unfortunately under this administration with its obvious bias against business, one wonders what’s really at work with these bureaucrats?
Scary!
The idea that the freedom of speech should be limited is dangerous no matter what administration is in power. You don’t stop someone from shouting “Fire” in a crowded theater by forcibly muzzling every patron as they enter the theater, you hold accountable those responsible for damaging and demand that they make restitution to the victims.
Loyd on April 14th, 2009 8:52 pm
Carrying an ad on my site and endorsing a product are two different things. Just because there’s a beer commercial in a major league baseball game on television doesn’t mean the teams are endorsing it. It just means they’re getting paid for that time.
Endorsing the product means you’re giving it your stamp of approval. I think to endorse a product you would need to be holding the product up and saying “Get blah blah blah. It’s blah.” An advertisement wouldn’t qualify as an endorsement if you’re not participating in the ad campaign but merely running it.
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