Perhaps you've already heard about the news - Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) has just released some new guides concerning
the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertisements.
Anyway, here's the FTC pdf report if you like to read.
Well, I'm not a lawyer or some expert in law or anything of that
sort. So I don't want to make any comments here that may only
make me look silly or stupid. But I do believe this new set of FTC
guidelines will have some serious impacts on people like us
marketing online.
I don't view this as bad news...
In fact this could be the most timely "treat" for those bogus
product owners out there whose sites are full of fake testimonials
and/or software generated earning screenshots! (Know what I
mean?)
What now?
You could do one of the following three things:
1. Study the guidelines and comply with them
2. Give them your middle finger - Ignore them completely
3. Stay on the sidelines - Just wait and see
Personally, I'm going to pick route no. 1 - Try my best to
comply with the new guidelines. It isn't that complicated
in my case as an affiliate marketer anyway.
Need more information? I can point you to a few places where
there are a lot of discussions going on:
1. Chris Crum of WebProNews has an article:
"Potential FTC Fines Raise Big Blogging Questions"
A lot of people are commenting.
2. Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachine wrote:
"FTC regulates our speech" (Ah...I love this one).
Google's Matt Cutts is in the discussion too.
3. Frank Kern (Mass Control) sent me an email today about his
new blogpost "FTC Declares Shenanigans On All Kinds Of Stuff!"
Like that too.
Take care and good luck!
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