The Federal Trade Commission is currently making plans to exercise more control over blogs. At issue is bloggers who endorse products and services. If a blogger endorses a product or service, the FTC wants to place the blogger under scrutiny to make sure the blogger is not receiving undisclosed compensation. For example, if a mother likes a toy she bought for her kids and writes a positive article about the toy, the FTC would want to make certain she did not receive any sort of compensation for the article from the manufacturer or retailers.
On the surface, this FTC initiative sounds like a commonsense measure to protect the consumer from false testimonials and deceptive marketing practices. The reality, however, is much worse. This move is probably just a way for the Federal government to expand its jurisdiction over blogs.
The blogosphere is one of the few places left where people can report and/or read unvarnished truth. Bloggers freely report what they see and know. Sometimes the bloggers are absolutely right, and sometimes they are dead wrong. Regardless, the blogger exercises his or her freedom of speech, and the Web community has the choice to accept or reject the blogger's facts and views. In an age of diminishing mainstream media, numerous press scandals, and outright bias in the major news outlets, the blogs have become an important tool for delivering news and commentary. Sometimes, the only place to find the truth is on a blog.
The Federal government currently has significant influence over major media outlets, so politicians and officials know they can somewhat manage their message in the mainstream press if need be. The politicians and officials have far less control over the blogs. They have to know that, when the rest of the media fails to report the truth to the population, the bloggers can still disseminate the important facts and write the tough things that need to be written. This freedom of expression has got to make a lot of powerful people nervous. Certainly, they are looking for a way to control the voices of the bloggers.
This FTC initiative is just the first intrusion into the Web-based free press. The Federal government will use this expanded jurisdiction as a launch pad for deeper intrusions. This year, the government wants to go after product endorsements. Next year they may want to go after political endorsements. Where does it stop? Perhaps, in a few years, any blogger who writes about politics or current events will have to register with the Federal Communications Commission and be subject to their scrutiny. What is we ever have a corrupt President who chooses to abuse this sort of authority.
The FTC's move to investigate blogs should deeply concern us all. When the Federal government begins exercising control over private citizens' freedom of speech, it jeopardizes the ability of private individuals to freely express opinions and report information. If you ever think you may want to express yourself on a blog or want to have the option of seeking the truth from independent citizen journalists, this affects you. Be concerned, because the First Amendment is in danger.
