Will the FTC come after me?
Some of the fallout from the updated FTC regulations concern how the FTC will monitor and track violators. Violators being people using social media to endorse a product or service without disclosing any material connection they have to the product/service they are touting.
Will the FTC come after individual bloggers for not disclosing they have been influenced with free product to post something about a product/service? That’s a question many bloggers have.
According to Anthony DiResta, WOMMA’s general counsel, the FTC will not be monitoring online activity all day every day to ensure compliance. That’s not how the FTC works.
In the WOMMA webinar from Oct. 8 discussing the new FTC guidelines, Anthony explained how the FTC will track and monitor compliance.
According to Anthony, the FTC will listen to complaints filed by consumer groups, trade associations, attorney general offices, the Better Business Bureau, and individual consumers about potential abuse of endorsements in social media channels. If a submitted complaint interests the FTC, an investigation may begin and some form of punishment may be handed out if violations are found.
So no … the FTC will not play the role of big brother and track every blogger’s every move. The FTC will, however, pay attention to suspicious activity if they receive credible complaints about potential abuse.
