Bloggers Must Disclose Sponsored Posts

For those who may not know about blogging for cash, let me introduce PayPerPost. PayPerPost is a consumer generated advertising company that connects advertisers with bloggers, videographers, photographers, podcasters and participants in social networks to market products. Until know, bloggers and others have been able to do so without disclosing the fact that they were being paid by said company!

Bloggers Must Disclose Sponsored Posts

A company that helps advertisers connect with bloggers willing to write about their products for payment will now require disclosures amid criticism and a regulatory threat.

Before this week, advertisers were barred by PayPerPost Inc. from telling bloggers they can't disclose the sponsorship, but bloggers were able to decide on their own whether or not to do so. Under the new policy, bloggers must disclose that they are accepting payment, either in the write-up or in a general disclosure policy on the blogger's Web journal.

"Ever since we launched, there's been a lot of controversy about disclosure," said Ted Murphy, PayPerPost's chief executive.

Besides other bloggers questioning the ethics of receiving payments without disclosure, the Federal Trade Commission said in a Dec. 7 staff opinion that failure to disclose could, in some cases, violate consumer-protection laws on deception. The FTC did not single out PayPerPost or say whether it would launch any investigation.

David Sifry of Technorati praised PayPerPost's move; so do I!

"Overall, this is an encouraging and long-awaited change," he said. "I think that people have learned that without trust, all posts become suspect. ... By encouraging honesty and transparency in sponsored posts, PayPerPost adds (some) clarity to the waters they muddied when they launched six months ago."

In my opinin this is a great move and should be applauded!!!