FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, payments

[babylonsister]

FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, payments
By DEBORAH YAO Associated Press Writer


Jun 21st, 2009 | Savvy consumers often go online for independent consumer reviews of products and services, scouring through comments from everyday Joes and Janes to help them find a gem or shun a lemon.

What some fail to realize, though, is that such reviews can be tainted: Many bloggers have accepted perks such as free laptops, trips to Europe, $500 gift cards or even thousands of dollars for a 200-word post. Bloggers vary in how they disclose such freebies, if they do so at all.

The practice has grown to the degree that the Federal Trade Commission is paying attention. New guidelines, expected to be approved late this summer with possible modifications, would clarify that the agency can go after bloggers -- as well as the companies that compensate them -- for any false claims or failure to disclose conflicts of interest.

It would be the first time the FTC tries to patrol systematically what bloggers say and do online. The common practice of posting a graphical ad or a link to an online retailer -- and getting commissions for any sales from it -- would be enough to trigger oversight.

more...

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/scitech/2009/06/21/D98V7B880_us_tec_bloggers_freebie_disclosures/index.html

[Merlot]

1. Ya, I've learned to take written product reviews with a LARGE grain of salt

Bought one product on overstock.crap based on reviews. None of the reviews mentioned the problems that were obvious. And the product it's self was from some offbrand company with poorly translated instructions and no contact info.

Product is ok, an average 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5, not worthy of the glowing reviews which were probably written by overstuck stoodgies.

[Posteritatis]

3. Online reviews can be pretty fascinating

If I'm looking at a book on, say, Amazon, I can often get more information out of it by the astroturfed negative reviews than I can by the average or glowing ones. Around here I bring up the example of Turkish Amazon reviewers a lot - if I'm looking at a book and there's a lot of ridiculous-looking one-star reviews from Turkish nationals, no matter what their reviews say, I know it said something about Armenians that the Turkish government doesn't like, for instance. If a history text has howls about whatever -ism people hate most this week, it's not necessarily proof that said -ism is supported by the book, but the fact that certain types think it is gives me a hint as to the actual tone, etc.

So yeah. I'll often look quite a bit at reviews, but it helps a lot to read between the lines and pull things out of the reviews that the reviewers probably didn't want you to.

[lindisfarne]

2. There's already a discussion about this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5892228&mesg_id=5893364

[Turbineguy]

4. I love DU!

(OK Skinner, I want that Aston Martin in gunmetal gray).