OFT gets tough on “misleading” blog ads
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The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has vowed to crack down on “deceptive” social media sites that contain undisclosed paid-for promotions.
The OFT says it has taken “precedent-setting” enforcement action against blogging network Handpicked Media after it failed to identify promotional content.
It says in a statement: “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.”
Comments about services and products on website blogs and microblogs such as Twitter should also disclose paid-for promotions, the OFT adds.
The warning comes ahead of the extension of the Advertising Standards Authority’s remit that will see it regulate companies’ marketing communications online, including branded social media sites.
Heather Clayton, senior director of OFT’s consumer group, says that it is has “bolstered” its expertise in digital action and will be taking “targeted” action to ensure compliance.
She adds: ’The integrity of information published online is crucial so that people can make informed decisions on how to spend their money. 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.’
Readers' comments (2)
david cushman | Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:06 am
Seems odd that any one would try to build a business doing this since you only need to be called out once and that's it - game over.
Have to ask who the clients involved were and how their usual standards failed to be applied.
The good news is that online we're able to call out the fakes really fast and warn each other about them - in a rapid and effective way in networks of peer-to-peer trust.
None of that is available in broadcast mediums.
So while I'm happy the OFT is providing a reminder that bad stuff also happens on blogs, they'd be better of spending their time chasing the broadcast boys.
Us lot on the network do a very good job of policing each other. If we don't trust it, we tell others, who trust us, not to trust it to.
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Anonymous | Mon, 13 Dec 2010 8:38 pm
I wonder if this would cover Yell staff writing 6,700 reviews on their own 'Trusted Places' website because they ran an internal competition to incentivise their staff to write them (as reported in the Sunday Times on 12th December).
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