The FTC has issued a set of regulations for companies advertising on social media and using mobile ads. The rules basically update regulations previously released in 2000. Since then, we have seen a whole new world that revolves around mobile devices like the smartphone and the tablet. With the proliferation of these devices has come new areas for advertisers to reach people, like social networks and mobile ad networks.
This mobile ad must show the word imitation
The FTC is saying that just because a tweet is limited to 140 characters, a company is not off the hook as far as full disclosure is concerned. Any company that is found to be in violation of FTC rules could face penalties. In its statement, the FTC gave a few examples of what would be considered a violation. As an example, the FTC pointed to a make-believe diet product being promoted on Twitter by a made-up celebrity. A tweet from @JuliStarz that reads "Shooting movie beach scene. Had to lose 30lbs in 6 wks. Thanks Fat-away Pills for making it easy. [link]" would not be acceptable, the FTC said. Starz would have to make it clear that she is being paid to promote Fat-away and that a 30-pound weight loss in six weeks is not a typical result. According to the FTC, an acceptable tweet would be, "Ad:Shooting movie beach scene. Had to lose 30lbs in 6 wks. Thanks Fat-away Pills for making it easy. Typical loss: 1lb/wk."
Recommended For You
The FTC showed other examples such as an ad on a smartphone for imitation pearl earrings that must clearly say "imitation". An ad for a home security system must include a prominent placing of monthly service fees rather than a link to fees on a separate page.
Mint Mobile is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a special offer on its six-month subscription plans. For a limited time, you can get your preferred tier (6GB, 17GB, 23GB or unlimited) for just $10/mo. That saves you between 50% and 71% on the carrier's mobile plans, making it way easier to recommend.
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: