By Josh Centers on October 13th, 2009
Last week, we reported that the Federal Trade Commission planned to fine bloggers up to $11,000 if they didn’t disclose anything that could be counted as an endorsement. Well, fear not, The Washington Post’s Cecilia Kang spoke with the FTC’s Richard Cleland and found that its threats were mostly hot air.
"We do not have authority to impose a fine for violation of the (FTC) Act," Cleland told Kang.
Cleland explained that enforcement will mostly be through warning letters, and if things get
Continue reading FTC to Bloggers: Don’t Worry, We’re Powerless to Fine You!
By Josh Centers on October 5th, 2009
The FTC today released new guidelines that threaten to fine bloggers up to $11,000 for what the organization considers an undisclosed paid endorsement.
However, the commission has a broad definition of what constitutes an endorsement.
“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,” said a release by the FTC.
This could be a legal nightmare for reviewers, who often rely on
Continue reading Bloggers Could Be Fined $11,000 Under New FTC Regulations
Last week, we reported that the Federal Trade Commission planned to fine bloggers up to $11,000 if they didn’t disclose anything that could be counted as an endorsement. Well, fear not, The Washington Post’s Cecilia Kang spoke with the FTC’s Richard Cleland and found that its threats were mostly hot air.