Comments on: FTC: Bloggers must disclose payments for reviews (Fine up to $11,000)

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:22:12 +0000

It’s a great idea, but how does something like this get enforced?

There are so many blogs and review sites out there. You even hear of companies openly paying bloggers to endorse their products.

I wish the FTC luck!

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:25:35 +0000

That’s what I get for commenting on a post when I first wake up. I was under the impression that the post was about disclosing payment received for reviews financially, not ethically disclosing that you were paid to review.

I do agree that it should be mentioned if a review is paid. You can still persuade with a paid review so long as you actually believe in the product. If you don’t, then you probably shouldn’t be reviewing it anyway.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:16:57 +0000

The thing that confuses me (at least in Canada, anyway) is people who are shocked by things like this. You’re supposed to declare all income. People find new ways of making income and feel that they don’t have to declare it. My accounting teacher in college gave us a good way of deciding whether or not we should be declaring a revenue with this simple question: “Did money go into your bank account as a result of your transaction?” If you made money from a business move, you claim it.

The real problem is all these make-money-yourself-online blogging and internet marketing jobs popping up and people aren’t treating them like real businesses. Get your spreadsheets open, my friends.

By: Blaineblogger

Blaineblogger — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:29:02 +0000

Although I do think clarity and openness is important. Business people do this all the time in the offline world and they don’t have to disclose anything. Anyway, I don’t think this will effect everyone, only people who are members of paid-to-review sites but now this will just force publishers and advertisers to talk to each other more directly and the FTC can’t stop that.

By: Sarge

Sarge — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:17:05 +0000

I think this is great news. There isn’t enough honesty in the world. Maybe we’ll start seeing some ‘real’ reviews now.

So people that get paid to review or get free products just disclose at the end of the reivew ‘I received such and such product as a freebie as well as $xxx to write this review’ ?

By: Henrik Blunck - Denmark

Henrik Blunck - Denmark — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:17:00 +0000

I would wish politicians were equally required to tell each time they voted as requested by the lobbyists who pay numerous “bonuses”, free trips and other perks to get their businesses promoted.

But it’s true: two wrongs don’t make a right. Furthermore, people deserve to know when a review is paid for/sponsored.

But politicians aren’t anyway nearly as careful when it’s money in their baskets…

By: Tweets that mention Starting at first December: Bloggers must disclose payments for reviews | DaneBlogger -- Topsy.com

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:59:07 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mikkel Juhl. Mikkel Juhl said: What is this FTC's announcement? http://bit.ly/4403CE (important for bloggers)(please RT) [...]