Bloggers Who Review Products Must Fully Disclose their Ties

Starting today, December 1, 2009, bloggers who review products will have to fully disclose their ties and reveal any free products they receive. See article in NY Times announcing the ruling.

Within the last year, I was sent a learning product worth over $500, presumably to try to entice me to use it and give it a good review. That product is still in its shrink wrap. I've also had several inquiries over the years about whether I'd be willing to review a learning intervention and say nice things. I won't make such a deal.

Do you ever wonder which workplace learning blogs are slanting their reviews? Me too.

Anyway, today such incentivized bias is supposed to stop.

Comments

[Michael Hanley]

Good call by the FTC, though if readers apply a little bit of critical analysis when reading posts/articles/reviews I am sure that they could easily 'read between the lines.' The link below is my favourite example of a blog that purports to be "fair and balanced" but is actually a blatant advert for one particular web conferencing platform, taking every opportunity to do down their competitors:
http://davidchao.typepad.com/webconferencingexpert/

Just a gentle admonishment Will: don't forget that you have a readership outside of the US. Your federal agencies have no jurisdiction in other parts of the world (for example in the European Union). It might be useful to include a few clarifying words in your posts - when I started reading this article I actually thought I had missed some new guideline until I checked the NYT article!
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[Will Thalheimer]

Michael, Thanks for the reminder that it's all global now. I try to remember, but must have been annoyed enough with my government when I wrote this that I forgot my place in the world!!

[Harold Jarche]

Will this make Canada a haven for bloggers?

[Will Thalheimer]

Might tarnish the cool pristine image of you Canadian bloggers...

No longer will you be able to skate on that refreshing lager-than-life reputation...