Blog network must label promo content under OFT glare
If they pay, you've got to say, growls watchdog
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Consumer protection watchdog the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has forced a network of bloggers to make it clear when companies are paying it for coverage. The OFT investigated Handpicked Media under consumer protection laws.
The company operates a network of sites purporting to offer editorial coverage of fashion, beauty, music and lifestyle subjects. The OFT said, though, that it investigated the network on suspicion that the coverage was not independent but the result of payment to it.
"The OFT was concerned that individuals engaged by Handpicked Media were publishing online content which promoted the activities of Handpicked Media's clients, without sufficient disclosures in place to make it clearly identifiable to consumers that the promotions had been paid for," said an OFT statement. "This included publication on website blogs and microblogs (for example Twitter)."
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) protect consumers from unfair commercial practices which would lead them to take a purchasing decision that they would otherwise not have taken.
Handpicked Media has signed undertakings agreeing to identify clearly when coverage is connected to payments from its clients. The OFT said that the investigation and undertakings set a precedent.
"In taking this enforcement action the OFT has confirmed its view that online advertising and marketing practices that do not disclose they include paid-for promotions are deceptive under fair trading laws," said an OFT statement. "This includes comments about services and products on website blogs and microblogs such as Twitter."
"Online promotional activity, just like any other promotional activity, must clearly identify when promotions and editorial comment have been paid for, so that consumers are not misled," it said.
Heather Clayton, senior director of the OFT's consumer group, said that the body would be taking "targeted action" against companies that are not clear about the commercial background to blogs.
"The integrity of information published online is crucial so that people can make informed decisions on how to spend their money," she said. "We expect online advertising and marketing campaigns to be transparent so consumers can clearly tell when blogs, posts and microblogs have been published in return for payment or payment in kind. We expect this to include promotions for products and services as well as editorial content."
The OFT said that the undertakings agreed by Handpicked Media prevent it repeating the behaviour that led to the investigation.
"Through the signed undertakings, [Handpicked Media] has agreed not to engage in promotional activity unless bloggers within its network prominently disclose, in a manner unavoidable to the average consumer, that the promotion has been paid for or otherwise remunerated," the OFT statement said.
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COMMENTS
More education is the answer
@"marketing practices that do not disclose they include paid-for promotions are deceptive under fair trading laws"
That's totally true, but unfortunately there is no way to enforce such a rule to stop deceptive marketers who will continue to find ever more ways to lie to people to manipulate them. There is however a way to deal with this kind of lying behaviour of some people in society.
TEACH THE ENTIRE POPULATION MORE CRITICAL THINKING!
That way, *everyone* will *FINALLY* fully grasp the idea that some people *relentlessly lie* (not just the occasional lie, they lie relentlessly) all to get their own way, because its currently an up hill battle with some people to get this idea into their overly idealistic heads. Too many people do not see the liars for what they are, because they do not use enough critical thinking, such as for example following the money as they say, to highlight warning signs of liars.
We have this lying problem with the lies of marketers, as this news shows.
We also have this lying problem with the lies of Politicians.
We also have this lying problem with the lies of the cult leaders.
All of them seek to manipulate others for their own gain. When does it end. The entire population needs to be taught far more critical thinking, because our rich and powerful will never want it and so never allow or agree to educate the population, to then be more ready to catch liars, because more critical thinking undermines the leaders ability to lie. Don't ever forget the lessons of history, where many leaders wanted to keep the entire population uneducated, just so the leaders could get away with whatever they liked. It shows they wanted to deceive the entire population and their kind still do! ... as Wikileaks keeps on showing us!. The rich and powerful are relentless liars because that helps them get what they want and so that gives them an advantage over people who don't lie, so the liars win and dominate in society. More education is the answer.
Was it just me...
...who read that as "Blog network must label porno content under OFT glare"?
Paris... because she's good at labelling porn
So is Lester.....
...going to finally admit he is paid for by American defence contractors...
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