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EU Bans Sock-Puppet Blogs

Posted by kdawson on from the named-and-shamed dept.

PhilipMarlowe9000 writes in with news of a new EU directive that will take effect in the UK at the end of this year to ban "sock-puppet" reviews or websites, part of an EU-wide overhaul of consumer laws. From the article: "Businesses that write fake blog entries or create whole wesbites purporting to be created by customers will fall foul of a European directive banning them from 'falsely representing oneself as a consumer.' From December 31, when the change becomes law in the UK, they can be named and shamed by trading standards or taken to court. The Times has learnt that the new regulations also will apply to authors who praise their own books under a fake identity on websites such as Amazon."

7 of 393 comments (clear)

  1. This will end well by heinousjay · · Score: 5, Funny

    Regulating the internet usually works incredibly well. This is sure to do everything it is intended to do.

    --
    Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
  2. Ban sock puppet politicians by syousef · · Score: 5, Funny

    I know a few politicians I consider sock puppets for other entities. Can we ban them too?

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  3. This is a disaster! by edwardpickman · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's going to cost thousands of corporate jobs and eliminate whole departments. What do they expect companies to do? Depend on actual positive feedback from customers?

  4. Slashdot is the best thing to happen in my life by LM741N · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just want to say that without Slashdot, I would never have made it to where I am today. Kudos for a great website.

    Sincerely,

    Captain Burritto

    1. Re:Slashdot is the best thing to happen in my life by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 5, Funny
      Shut down the intraweb!!! You're fooling people!! We must prosecute those responsible for perpetrating this hoax!

      Very truly yours,
      Boston

      --
      If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  5. Re:Corporate personhood... by RyanFenton · · Score: 5, Funny

    Troll moderation? What the hell? Was someone out there thinking "Hey, my Mother was a corporation, you jerk!"

    Ryan Fenton

  6. Burn the socks! by deek · · Score: 5, Funny

    Europe has got it right. Sites like these should be eradicated from the face of the internet. Please, think of the children!