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Consumer Reports comments on proposed changes to the FTC’s Endorsement Guides

Consumer Reports filed comments on proposed changes to the Endorsement Guides, the FTC’s guidance to companies on testimonials and influencer marketing. The Endorsement Guides were last updated over ten years ago; since then we have seen a tremendous growth of marketing on social media that often seems to blur the line between paid promotion and organic content. A revision to the Guides was long overdue.

CR expressed support for most of the proposed changes for providing stronger protections for consumers and more clear rules for companies. CR recommended providing more detailed guidance on (1) platform responsibility and (2) different types of social media engagement, as well as narrower textual changes on a number of specific sections.