VLP Law Group Partner Char Pagar Quoted in the Daily Journal article “Endorsements on Social Media Run Afoul of FTC”
Posted on Aug 26, 2015 in News by
VLP Law Group Partner Char Pagar was quoted in the article “Endorsements on Social Media Run Afoul of FTC” in the August 26, 2015 edition of the Daily Journal.
The article reported that more than half of celebrity endorsements of brands or products on social media are not in compliance with Federal Trade Commission regulations.
Char said the FTC’s view is that consumers give more weight to the opinions of people they know and respect, especially celebrities, and it’s not always clear who is getting paid to post on social media and who isn’t. In response, the FTC has updated its endorsement guidelines for the first time in five years.
She added that keeping up with advancements in technology is a consistent challenge for regulators. “Whenever there’s new technology or new media that’s adopted, regulators have to figure out how to make the old rules apply and how to make it clear to the public that the old rules apply.”
Char also noted that some of her clients are including specific provisions to expressly require disclosures in each post and to notify the celebrity that the advertiser will be reviewing his or her posts from time to time to ensure they are in compliance with the regulations.
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