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FTC Makes Bloggers Ponder How to Disclose

Jan 9, 2010
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When the Federal Trade Commission’s new blogger disclosure rules went into effect on Dec. 1, bloggers were not just faced with ethical exposure, they were also faced with a Web design dilemma.

With the FTC wanting to know the relationships between the writers and the products they write about, the question becomes how and where bloggers should display the information on their sites.

Because of the archival nature of the Web, every post about any product is just a Google search away, so it’s unrealistic for the FTC to expect bloggers to go back and retroactively disclose relationships on past posts. Instead, most bloggers have decided on a separate page with a list of their relationships with businesses.

Chris Brogan, the well-known blogger and social media consultant, has done just that with brief mentions of his disclosures on his site’s About page. Read it here.

Included on that list are Brogan’s affiliate relationships as well as products he has received for review.

In contrast, author Tim Ferriss is much briefer on his disclosure page, linking out to a bio of his investments. Read it here.

After Dec. 1, other bloggers decided to weave their disclosures into individual blog entries and leave it at that. Implementation of the disclosures has been inconsistent and will be even more so as social media endorsements start to gain more and more focus. How do you disclose a positive Tweet in 140 characters or less?

Bloggers need to consider what works for them best. Having these disclosures on a FAQ page seems convenient but could also become out-of-sight, out-of-mind.  For the sticklers at the FTC, top-of-mind is what’s going to quickly become the name of the game.

About Mike Koehler

Mike Koehler is the New Media Director for Schnake Turnbo Frank | PR, the largest and oldest public relations firm in Oklahoma. Mike consults with clients about the best use of tools on the Internet, Web strategy and social media policy. Mike blogs regularly at www.smirknewmedia.com and is working on his first book to be published in 2010. Mike lives in Oklahoma City with his wife and three kids.

You can find Mike on Twitter: @mkokc.

Filed under: Legal Issues + Online Advertising + Social Media
  • http://cheap-i-m-ebooks.blogspot.com/ Davor Gasparevic

    Well, a separate page with a list of all blogs where affiliate links appear seems quite good way to go by, and any affiliate links in the sidebar are easily disclosed anyway.

    But, yeah, I agree with your Twitter point, how to disclose a 140 letters long message?! I really don’t have an idea.

  • zoran

    OK but if you watch advertising on TV it is way more nonethical pumped up to the maximum go buy buy because it is great wow call now man you are gonna miss opportunity for enormous amazing great product that wil do yada yada yada… not even close to guidelines that say that advertising space have to give enough space and emphasis to average result and in most cases it is nothing

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