Tag Archives: FTC

Screwing up the Internet

Surprise! Obamalot & the Dems (and their buddies in the bureaucracy) can’t stand all this Internet freedom. They’re going to do something about it. We will all soon be under the control of the Federal Trade Commission. Aren’t you grateful? No?

Barry assaults the First Amendment

The new FTC regulation of bloggers promoting or criticizing products is clearly government intrusion on free speech, and I hope it’s overturned quickly by some smart White House lawyer with more sense than the FTC commissioners. Most bloggers, as media critic Jeff Jarvis says, don’t think they’re doing anything remotely connected with journalism–which, in any case, isn’t included in the regulation. Indeed, keeping a pubescent diary about one’s precious kitties and opining which cat food is best obviously shouldn’t be within government’s jurisdiction.

Even I know the difference between what Antique Media does and what I do here. The FTC apparently doesn’t. Or else, typical of government, just lusts for more power. This time they bent the Constitution. The shocking part is that the FTC has never regulated Antique Media in this regard–making me suspect that this reg has to do with AM’s and politicians’ upset at blogger analysis and attacks. Wisconsin law professor Ann Althouse notes the FTC’s plan for selective enforcement of its regulation will make the assault even more egregious. Because it won’t be against the young cat food endorser. I thought attacks on our freedom were supposed to have ended with Obamalot.

The Modern Texas Rangers

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I’m jumping the gun a bit here, promoting former newspaper colleague Mike Cox’s new book before my review copy arrives from the publishers. I’m not supposed to be part of his virtual book tour until the end of the month. But when I saw the news that the FTC will begin requiring bloggers  to disclose conflicts of interest (i.e. product freebies), I thought no time like the present.

The AP’s claim that “traditional journalism outlets” are required (by their publishers) to return products “borrowed for reviews” is a fantasy. Review copies of books, for instance, are never returned. Indeed, many newspapers have year-end discount sales to their employees of their thousands of free review copies, the vast majority never having been reviewed at all.

I happily review Mike’s stuff because he’s a heckuva writer and this Texas Rangers book, the twin sequel to a previous one which I also reviewed, promises to be another good one of importance to Texas history. As for the “bribery,” I’ll undoubtedly buy several more copies to send to friends. But I’ll keep the review copy, just like “traditional journalism outlets” do. I assume this disclosure will be good enough. But if it isn’t, tough.

Via Instapundit and Hot Air.