Advertisers in the US are bracing themselves for regulatory changes that they fear will curtail their efforts to tap into the fast-growing online social media phenomenon.

Revised 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.

If a blogger received a free sample of skin lotion and then incorrectly claimed the product cured eczema, the FTC could sue the company for making false or unsubstantiated statements. The blogger could be sued for making false representations.

So, how the hell are we supposed to control exactly what any person who gets a free sample of a product says about it in their Facebook status? We don’t know what’s coming out of our own mouths half the time, let alone what someone else is going to say!

Advertising regulations haven’t been touched since 1980. Even though I’m mostly a hands-off kind of guy, if we’re going to have regulations about something, making sure that they’re up-to-date makes sense. But to blame companies for a psycho blogger’s quack claims is not just stupid, pointless and a potential first amendment nightmare, it’s a waste of the government’s time and our tax dollars.

But, I have to say that it’s potential comedy gold. If a blogger claiming that a lotion they tried cures eczema is to be verboten, as a sampler of many SEO blogs and websites, what kinds of quack claims might I make to potentially get some of my favorite authors in trouble?

• Todd Friesen not only dispenses good SEO advice, he cured my male pattern baldness!
• Shoemoney  taught me how to make money online – and how to regrow lost limbs!
• The girls at Outspoken Media can really help you maximize social networking opportunities, as well as make spider veins disappear instantly!
• Bill Slawski can educate you on how search engines work, ways to improve your SEO scientifically, and how to bring dead pets back to life!

Come get me – and these bloggers – if you can, FTC!

Post from: Search Engine Snark

Bloggers say crazy things, companies get blamed