new FTC regulations...

1 replies
is it ok for me to use a fake name and picture on my sites and still be ftc compliant? I hate to put out my actual personal info online.

Also, whats the deal on product reviews? Can my writers no longer write reviews on products? (yes, they are typically reviews about a product that my writers researched, but didn't actually use) Is this illegal now?

Thanks
#ftc #regulations
  • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
    The new guidelines aren't so new. They came out in 2009 and they have nothing to do with the use of pen names or whether or not the picture is really you.

    When you ask if your writers can still write reviews, are you referring to reviews for products that you are providing an affiliate link for or are you referring to products that you own?

    Your writers can provide feature reviews for any product they want. They can also provide reviews for the products that you own and are selling... but you must state if the reviewer is a paid endorser. If they are an employee writing about products that you own, then they are no doubt paid endorsers and you must disclose this.

    Reviews for your products from customers are perfectly fine and no disclaimer is necessary, EVEN IF you gave them the product for free, so long as the product is not of a large value (i.e. a diamond ring). Others will argue the merits of that last statement, but it is clearly laid out in the guidelines.

    By the way, here's my caveat... I am not a lawyer, but my mother wanted me to be. I was going to become one, but they wanted me to go to school for four more years and they wouldn't budge on this.
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    Founder of JVZoo. All around good guy :)

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