

FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, payments - jeffb
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/FTC-plans-to-monitor-blogs-apf-4106175840.html?x=0

======
zacharypinter
I'm very hesitant to support any attempt of government to regulate the content
of the internet. I think, on the whole, that the internet is best served as a
sort of information anarchy. It's really the ultimate example of truly free
speech (even when it's illegal).

Of course, people will always be lied to, misled, and outright deceived. But,
let people build their own defenses against that. On the whole, I think it's
better to keep government as far away from the internet as possible.

------
anamax
Bloggers getting paid is a big problem, but journalists married to the folks
they're covering is no big deal.

------
ckinnan
This is overdue, actually. U.S. consumer law already governs paid word-of-
mouth marketing, as it is a form of advertising. (It is commercial speech and
not fully protected by the First Amendment.) It is a reasonable standard to
say that paid bloggers can't make false commercial claims about a product, and
that they disclose situations where they are compensated.

------
dinkumthinkum
How about the FTC forgoes doing this and tax payers can just save the money?
I'm not sure we need a nanny to tell us some emo blogger kid is getting a fat
check from Sony to review their latest gadget.

------
xenophanes
A reply:

<http://curi.us/blog/post/1423-ftc-and-reason>

