FTC Goes After Paid Bloggers & Celebs

The FTC, (Federal Trade Commission), announced this week that it is beefing up the rules regarding paid endorsements by bloggers and Tweeters saying they love/use a product but in reality are shills for the company. This new regulation by the FTC is the first real change they’ve had in the rules since the early 1980s. From celebrities endorsing products on shows like “Oprah” to unknown so-called “users” who rave about the products on their blog, Twitter or Facebook pages, the Truth in Advertising guidelines didn’t touch social media until now.

Bloggers were either given free products for themselves to write about, or were paid money to write about them, or even given free trips to Disneyworld or other payola prizes. Beginning December 1st, the rules will change, with fines of up to $11,000 for the violation.

Social Media is a fast-moving target, and the FTC has been studying this and working out the new guidelines for about a year. We applaud the FTC’s actions, knowing how slow the wheels of government turn; they could have sat on this for a great long time.

What does this mean to you? Your research into new products won’t be skewed by raves from so-called “average Joe like you” bloggers. You still need to be perceptive in your research, and not trust one review or product mention as the end-all be-all of that product.

We Americans have become quite the lazy consumer, and often don’t want to do our own research, wanting, instead, to believe someone else’s review or reaction. Not a good idea. Here at Videomaker, we get people writing to us all the time asking us to just point them in the ONE direction they need to go to buy their camcorder, editing software or accessories, and we can’t. That’s not our job. Everyone is different, and everyone’s needs are different, and the best place to begin your research is to start with one of Videomaker’s Buyer’s Guides, and go online to do your own research. And now, thanks to the FTC, that research might be a little bit less skewed.