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FTC Tells Search Engines to Disclose Paid Links

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the keeping-lame-search-engines-in-line dept.

linderdm writes "CNN has an article describing how the FTC wants search engines who receive payment for higher rated links, to disclose this to users. The concern is that users go to search engines looking for the best results for their search criteria, not the highest paid results for their search."

5 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. that's great! by squarefish · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's been a long time coming. Google is the only engine currently doing a decent job of making clear which links are paid advertisements.

    --
    Creationists are a lot like zombies. Slow, but powerful and numerous. And they all want to eat our brains.
  2. Does the FTC have jurisdiction? by BitterOak · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Does the FTC really have the authority to do this? Are there First Amendment implications?

    If I accept advertising on a personal website, am I required to disclose the fact?

    Perhaps the reason the FTC is not taking legal action here is there is no legal basis for them to. Under which law would they sue?

    I'm not a lawyer, but I am genuinely curious about the legalities here. Any lawyers or other experts care to respond?

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    1. Re:Does the FTC have jurisdiction? by anthony_dipierro · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Does the FTC really have the authority to do this?

      Yep, it's interstate commerce.

      Are there First Amendment implications?

      Yeah, but commercial speech has limited protectionunder the First Amendment.

      Under which law would they sue?

      Not sure, but it seems that it could fall under fraud, or unfair trade practices, or something. The FTC probably has leeway to invent its own rules, as well.

  3. What about other types of "search"? by callott · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of the major online travel sites will quite happily skew "lowest fare" flight search results towards a certain airline as long as said airline is willing to pay them a modest monthly fee. (I'm not going to say which one.)

    The lowest fares (in an absolute, mathematical sense) are still there, just buried 40 pages deep into the search results. 99.999999% of all users won't bother to navigate past the first page, but the "complete results" are technically available for you to browse through.

    This is just one real-life example -- there are endless, and I mean endless, types of games you can play by sorting of results. As long as the company has something to gain by skewing search results a certain way, some of the companies will choose to do so. (Yet another argument against any one private entity monopolizing access to a certain type of information.)

    Aloha,

    -Cal

    1. Re:What about other types of "search"? by rcs1000 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Funny you should mention that.

      I always thought that my search results with a certain on-line *travel* agent moved with *ocity* efficiency and would always give me the best price in its database.

      Yet, when I restricted the search to my 'favourite airlines', I got different (ie better) results.

      I thought it was a glitch. But you've made me think again...

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