The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided that bloggers need to disclose if they’ve received ‘freebies’ that they blog about or write reviews on. Otherwise they would be liable for fines on the order of $10 to $20,000.

In addition, testimonial advertisements now need to be more explicit in what customers can reasonably expect when they purchase the products. No longer can they only contain glowing reviews with a disclaimer saying that the results aren’t typical for all consumers.

The new regulations go into effect December 1, 2009. It’s a good idea to read through the changes, the first of its kind since 1980. However, if you’re a blogger and want to be on the safe side, then simply disclose whenever you do receive a freebie and write about it. Your readers will appreciate your honesty and your trust factor will rise as well.

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