"Revised FTC guidelines on endorsements and testimonials by the Federal Trade Commission, now under review and expected to be adopted, would hold companies liable for untruthful statements made by bloggers and users of social networking sites who receive samples of their products.”
"The guidelines would also hold bloggers liable for the statements they make about products," says David Gelles in an article he published April 2, 2009, titled Advertisers Brace For Online Viral Marketing Curbs.”
ABC news is reporting a potential change in FTC regulations would expose parenting blogs when it comes to product reviews.
“Mommy blogger Colleen Padilla never imagined that her opinions would become so coveted by other parents that corporations would come knocking on her door, requesting that she review their products and tout them in the blogosphere. ...
... But, now, Padilla and the estimated hundreds of thousands of fellow parenting bloggers may be in danger of being sued if the government approves a change in its policy regarding endorsements of products by Web pundits.
"I'm nervous; my Web site and blog is almost entirely product reviews, either written posts or video reviews that incorporate my children testing, trying or using products," Padilla told ABCNews.com.
"I've got over 1,000 products in my product finder, so this is alarming news that I may be held liable for my opinion," Padilla said
A regulatory review process is underway to determine whether reviews by bloggers like Padilla may be in violation of good business practices, said Richard Cleland, a spokesman for the Federal Trade Commission. ... “
Read full story here: ABC News, a misnomer if ever I heard one.
This is a very serious attempt to undo the 1st Amendment. I should point out here that it appears this could become the way of things without due process. The wording is vague and purposefully so. This could and would be applied to a wide range of written word.
Is this their way of getting at the 2nd Amendment. Shut every one up. This doesn't just pertain to bloggers gentle reader. how about magazines. Books. How about your recommending a product to a friend and you're sued because it didn't work as described. How about your instruction manual? Let this slide and. . . as the old saying goes. . . give'em an inch, they'll take a mile.
I can go on. Some will say, welcome, and embrace the new ruling because of some perceived injury done them. There are those who will say it does not affect them, even claiming this onerous ruling to be virtuous; however, any wound inflicted on the Constitution, afflicts us all. This is no small thing.
Our very liberty and freedom are based in whole on the 1st and 2nd Amendments to the Constitution. This is not an innocuous law but rather a fund raiser for lawyers. This underhanded ruling; with the intent of being imposed on a docile public, demonstrates the corrupt nature of those in power!
There must be a deafening outcry of dissent. This cannot stand or as sure as I am writing this now, we will all fall under eager censorship, the emboldened thumb of power mad liberal government bent on total control of society.
That being the ultimate aim of all socialist, fascist, communist governments.
All this will be done in the most Orwellian fashion. We're from the Government and we're here to help.
