FTC puts its mark on the blogosphere

For the first time since 1980 the FTC has changed its guidelines on testimonials and endorsements--because of blogs.

Since its inception, the blogosphere has been a free-for-all for anyone wanting a space to voice their opinion, however deceitful or shady it may be. Now, unscrupulous bloggers claiming to be regular Joe's must reveal their affiliation with a product or company when blogging about it. Basically, if you're getting paid or enticed by gifts to blog about something you gotta disclose what you're getting in return for your positive review.

This has some interesting implications for bloggers who win their audiences with the idea that they are consumers "just like them" who sift through one lousy product after another when, all of a sudden, they have a life changing experience with such and such product. Since a large amount of the population considers advertisements unreliable these days, it's easy to see why people who can't make decisions treasure the opinions of friendly bloggers "just like them."

Side note--it's amazing that regular people who've been able to gain an online presence literally make a living off advertisements on their blog or paid product reviews. Talk about having a valuable opinion!

Interestingly, only 11% of Americans think that general blog content should be regulated. But 45% feel that requiring the disclosure of gifts and payments bloggers receive is a good thing.