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FTC: Bloggers must disclose payments for reviews
Acornia
Member UncommonPosts: 275
Just found this Associated Press note at WRAL.com in thier news/technology section. Check your local news service to see if they have posted the full message for you to read.
"The FTC said Monday its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final Web guildlines which had been expected. Violating the rules, which take effect Dec. 1, could bring fines up to $11,000 per violation. Bloggers or advertisers also could face injunctions and be ordered to reimburse consumers for financial losses stemming from inappropriate product reviews."
I for one am looking forward to this new rule, just wish the fines were much, much higher, say in the million dallor range. This should help to tone down all the new game hype that we are seeing now days of new games being released with parts not being in game they they are saying on the web and game boxes. Plus the over inflated reviewes that we have seen in the past that does not match what we find when we lay down our money to buy the reviewed game and play it.
But have fun looking for it and forming your own ideas about it.
Comments
Absolutely fantastic news! I came here to post this myself...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33177160/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/
Wonder how this will effect mmorpg.com
The fines are 'per infraction', so say there's a poster here on these forums who is paid to spread the gospel about a certain game, and they post say 50 times... that's 50 X the fines (if they don't disclose their employer and get caught, of course).
LOVE IT!
lol it wont change anything ,most that post here or anywhere arent paid lol
site like zam ,even them they ll just ask for regular joe to make review
i wonder who it will affect lol
Ha ha! Destructoid doesn't like it... I wonder why.
http://www.destructoid.com/ftc-demands-blog-disclosure-governs-the-internet-150990.phtml
This isn't scary to those who aren't getting the payola.
Thats the
If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried about us invading your privacy
Patriot Act excuse of a few years. There is no way bloggesr should be controlled by that. I wonder what the next step will be?
I highly doubt a public forum, such as these, falls under this ruling. Forums and blogs are seperate things. But even if these are covered by the ruling, the vast majority of people who post all over the place about how good a game is actually are just fans of the game. So don't expect much to change in that aspect.
The $11,000 does seem small, that could almost be factored into how much someone was paid to not disclose the info. So if someone wants it to seem like an actual review but they got paid, they get paid an extra $11,000 in case they get caught.
Boy, the FTC phone lines are going to be ringing off the hook with all the <insert MMO of choice> haters calling on anyone that says something good about a game they like. Of course the burden of proof is not on the person but the FTC, so most will just be ignored.
Whats that mean for here? Nothing will change.
"If we don't attack them, they will attack us first. So we'd better retaliate before they have a chance to strike"
Thats the
If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried about us invading your privacy
Patriot Act excuse of a few years. There is no way bloggesr should be controlled by that. I wonder what the next step will be?
this time i agree with you on 1 point: If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried.
i particularly like the disclosure as one attempt to end the payed hype increasing posts.
edit: typo, hope there aren't more of them
Game sites are a different matter.
They make money from advertisers based on the htis they get. They get more hits if they have cool content to show. Especially if it's 'exclusive' content. Game companies can make such content available to whichever sites they choose. How much of that do they send to sites which are negative about their products?
It's not a coincidence that game sites generally treat new and upcoming releases with kid gloves.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
**nvm previous post (if anyone read it) I misunderstood**
Hopefully, this doesn't extend to impose on the Freedom of Speech and Press.
Like Trading Card Games? Click Here.
Thats the
If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried about us invading your privacy
Patriot Act excuse of a few years. There is no way bloggesr should be controlled by that. I wonder what the next step will be?
Meh it wont hurt anyone thats honest. Now if youre a shill you just have to put a little notice at the bottom. Is that so difficult? Whats so wrong about being honest about it?
I think this ruling has more to do with putting an end to the political operatives that are paid to go on the opposing party's sites and cause havoc, not MMO websites.
I don't think MMORPG.com has anything to worry about, nor anyone else. This will not lead to personal blogs being censored or anything of that nature. If it does, it will quickly be struck down as a violation of first amendment rights when it is abused.
*edit*
four punkshuashun!
Einherjar_LC says: WTB the true successor to UO or Asheron's Call pst!
I'm going to post, on forums and blogs as I have always done. ^_^
The small fine points to an actual intent to enforce and collect. Im sure we will see a couple of first amendment cases as it has been ruled by the supreme court that it does apply to comercial speech. People will argue that selective prosecution may endanger equal access of the public to all opinions, or that it would allow corporations to control information release. Should be interesting although i agree we are unlikely to see much in the way of changes ourselves.
Just to make things clear...
I speak for myself and no one else, unless i state otherwise mine is just an opinion. A fact is something that can be independently verified, you may challenge such but with proof. You have every right to disagree with me through sound argument, i believe in constructive debate, but baseless aggression will warrant an unkind response.
It always does, as the State fears your opinion more than your gun.
I highly doubt a public forum, such as these, falls under this ruling. Forums and blogs are seperate things. But even if these are covered by the ruling, the vast majority of people who post all over the place about how good a game is actually are just fans of the game. So don't expect much to change in that aspect.
If it helps to clean forums from "viral marketing" "social media marketing" it is good . I have feeling some of the trolls on mmorpg forum are paid employees of a marketing company
Trolls and fanboys, yes. I think the latter are more cost-effective. Promoting your game will benefit you more than dumping on someone else's game.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Thats the
If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried about us invading your privacy
Patriot Act excuse of a few years. There is no way bloggesr should be controlled by that. I wonder what the next step will be?
Meh it wont hurt anyone thats honest. Now if youre a shill you just have to put a little notice at the bottom. Is that so difficult? Whats so wrong about being honest about it?
It has nothing to do with being honest, it's that being forced to mention such things that's the problem.
Mentioning you received freebies implies you accepted that as payment for giving a positive review, even when that isn't the case.
People seem to forget not everyone lives in the USA, for most of us we couldnt care less about this nor it will affect anything, if this is actually going inplace then the solution is get european people to do your propaganda rather than americans.
Thats the
If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried about us invading your privacy
Patriot Act excuse of a few years. There is no way bloggesr should be controlled by that. I wonder what the next step will be?
Meh it wont hurt anyone thats honest. Now if youre a shill you just have to put a little notice at the bottom. Is that so difficult? Whats so wrong about being honest about it?
It has nothing to do with being honest, it's that being forced to mention such things that's the problem.
Mentioning you received freebies implies you accepted that as payment for giving a positive review, even when that isn't the case.
If you got freebies unrelated to the blog then you arent affected. If you got paid to write then you have to be honest and say you did.
The fines are 'per infraction', so say there's a poster here on these forums who is paid to spread the gospel about a certain game, and they post say 50 times... that's 50 X the fines (if they don't disclose their employer and get caught, of course).
LOVE IT!
Forum posts do not equal blogs.
How would you expect it to impose on the first amendment? If anything, this is protecting abuse of the first amendment. By mandating a reviewer has to disclose any gifts/freebies/payments for his publishing efforts, it is effectively trying to clamp down on false advertising. Essentially, it's a stab at the fairly new saying "if' it's on the internetz, it must be true!"
Furthermore, by focusing most of the penalty on the benefactor of the review (the company/designer/retailer) rather than the blogger (in most cases), prosecutors have a very defined target to prosecute. It makes more sense to focus on the source of the payola rather than the recipient given the the breadth of the internet.
People seem to forget not everyone lives in the USA, for most of us we couldnt care less about this nor it will affect anything, if this is actually going inplace then the solution is get european people to do your propaganda rather than americans.
Well, the people pushing this legislation anyways seem to forget that, and as you suggested there is an easy enough work around.
That was actually the thought that came to my mind after I read it. They'll never be able to enforce it effectively, because as you say, it doesn't apply to the rest of the world.
Einherjar_LC says: WTB the true successor to UO or Asheron's Call pst!
the problem with these various law is that it make lawyer abuse the systam
power trip i call it you get silly lawsuit most of wich arent usefull
Thats the
If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried about us invading your privacy
Patriot Act excuse of a few years. There is no way bloggesr should be controlled by that. I wonder what the next step will be?
Meh it wont hurt anyone thats honest. Now if youre a shill you just have to put a little notice at the bottom. Is that so difficult? Whats so wrong about being honest about it?
It has nothing to do with being honest, it's that being forced to mention such things that's the problem.
Mentioning you received freebies implies you accepted that as payment for giving a positive review, even when that isn't the case.
If you got freebies unrelated to the blog then you arent affected. If you got paid to write then you have to be honest and say you did.
Actually, yes you are affected. If a reviewer sends you freebies along with the product you're reviewing, you have to mention that even if isn't meant as payment and doesn't affect the review whatsoever.