Fake Bloggers and Real Law
No lies, please. We’re British.
A European directive (Directive 2005/29/EC Of The European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 [PDF]) that deals with unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices became effective law in Britain at the end of last year. As people wake up to its import, there have been reports that certain of its provisions would apply to misuse of the internet by bloggers. Annex I of the directive lists those commercial practices that are “in all circumstances considered unfair”; and item 22 in the Annex reads as follows:
22. Falsely claiming or creating the impression that the trader is not acting for purposes relating to his trade, business, craft or profession, or falsely representing oneself as a consumer. [emphasis mine]
It’s the bolded portion that may hinder or prevent vendors from posing as consumers in order to praise their goods — or books, or music — online and in blogs, whether set up for that purpose or not.
A recent piece in the TimesOnline gives some examples of how phony online consumer reviews have actually helped boost a product.
I’ve blogged about the Irish version of the directive, which is currently before the Dáil (lower house of parliament) and thus worth keeping an eye on.
Very progressive. Another bite into astroturfing.
Hey, all of this is very interesting! I hadn’t even heard of the term astroturfing when I posted this and read more about it here. Thanks!
Your humble servant, an avid blogger,
Connie