Look out Mommy Bloggers and Reviewers, the government is coming to get you! According to the Washington Post (Article June 22, 2009) the Federal Trade Commission is reviewing guidelines it hopes to present later this summer that would regulate how bloggers disclose that they are receiving payments or freebies for their review. MomCentral (@momcentral) and IZEA (@IZEAinc) both of whom follow me on Twitter are mentioned in the article. I’ve met Stacy DeBroff very quickly after she spoke to IABC in San Francisco recently and put the following question to her via Twitter:
My question for @momcentral how do you stay transparent that you are tweeting/blogging for a paying client? #iabc09 ROI to SOI7:38 PM Jun 8th from Twittelator
I haven’t received an answer, yet. I’m sure Stacy or @MomCentral fields hundreds of direct tweets, so maybe they can’t answer them all, but it’s curious that the Washington Post singled them out over their practice of supplying coupons to Mommy bloggers so a certain product can be reviewed. IZEA on the other hand follows me, but has yet to reach out to me to offer any products or companies. But, it should be interesting how the FTC handles the slippery slope of trying to regulate the Internet.
Will bloggers go off-shore to accept payments for reviews? What about Twitter, much of the buzz on the microblogging site, is where do you put a disclaimer in the 140 characters you have to work with? I think the government should review the existing laws it has in place for retailers and the like. Rather than trying to chase down every Mom on a blog or band geek turned techno-blog reviewer, the U.S. Government should clamp down on the unscrupulous retailer trying to lure shoppers with “independent testimonials.” Code of ethics for bloggers are a good thing as well, and most bloggers who don’t disclaim they are receiving payment for their posts are soon uncovered by others who are trying to make blogging an trust-worthy news and information source. As for me, I have never taken payment for my thoughts, if I were, trust me, it would be disclosed.
What are your thoughts on this controversy?
Until next time, Tim
Other thoughts on the issue: Debbie Weil; Ideas that Spread; Weblog Tools Collection
