UK FTC (OFT) Taking action against affiliates/networks (8)
after affiliates were found to be passing paid-for commercial promotions off as independent customer reviews.
But OFT is going after the network right now, not the individual affiliates.
Here is the full story:
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/...001346.article
interesting to see... i hear a bunch of the free trial offers are now pillaging south america, uk etc. as the ftc slammed all that stuff in the states.
It's only a matter of time before the OFT, ASA and Trading Standards get together and bust some affiliates and networks.
In the past they have shut down and seized domains of fake designer good sites.
It's been about a year since the ASA's remit expanded to include online ads.
If you live in the UK and run fake news or flogs better watch your back....or move to Thailand.
If you are still running Fake blogs and Fake news sites in 2012 then you should be very worried - no matter which country you are running in.
I still see loads of fake news sites running skin and diet in the UK.
Most countries are a good few years behind the US/CA in terms of regulating web advertising, but catching up fast.
It's only a matter of time before we see regulatory agencies from most western countries start to share data and cooperate.
Just to clarify, from what I'm reading, the OFT isn't "going after them", they just issued a warning. So the network has received a notice and promised not to do it again.
No affiliates will be punished or prosecuted either, they just have to remove their "misleading comments" and all will be good.
After profiting for months or years, I'm sure they are all very remorseful 
always interesting to see the way consumer agencies are run in other parts of the world. I know Canada is beefing up its own version of the FTC.
One of the assuring things about affiliate marketing is that if you know you're personally keeping ethics and standards in mind, there will always be plenty of affiliates ahead in the queue, who aren't, waiting to have their futures pillaged.
Apply common sense and you should be fine.
As was mentioned in another thread, it's the offers and methods of promotion attracting the most controversy that will be first in line for legal action. There has to be a big public backlash to force groups like the OFT in to action.
While a lot of affiliate tactics err on shades of grey, it's those that are linked to the most damaging swindles for customers that are dangerous. If something gets too popular, like acai berries or penny auctions, and the customer is the biggest loser in the equation, that's when you need to rethink what you're doing. The bubble will eventually burst. And when it does, the biggest and most obvious offenders will become the scapegoats.
It will be a long time before the FTC or OFT catches up with the average working Joe affiliate and his tricks.
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