The free ride could soon be over for bloggers in the US who cash in on payments and free stuff to promote products.
The US Federal Trade Commission is about to unveil new guidelines fining bloggers who fail disclose payments up to $11,000.
The LA Times reports that move could crack down sneeky marketing tactics used by companies who pay fake bloggers to promote their services:
“The rules arrive at a time of mushrooming ‘sponsored’ posts on the Internet. Businesses such as Orlando-based IZEA help advertisers plant their pitches with dozens, even thousands, of bloggers and Twitterers, who get paid for their comments.
“Mom Central Consulting is just one of several outfits that put national brands in the hands of ‘mommy bloggers,’ who then post their own reviews, seldom negative, in exchange for gifts as small as a few coupons or as extravagant as a new dishwasher.”
Will the Advertising Standards Associaton follow suit in the UK?
Afterall, it recently cracked down on the Daily Express for publishing an advertorial masquerading as independent editorial content.
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