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Microsoft Paying for Positive Xbox One Coverage on YouTube

Posted by Unknown on from the smell-of-fresh-cut-astroturf dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft, partnered with Machinima, has put forth a promotion for YouTube personalities: make a video about the Xbox One and get money for it. Problematically, they also require the reviewer not to disclose that they're getting paid (or mention anything negative), which breaks FTC disclosure rules (PDF). Microsoft has a well-known history of astroturfing, but is this the first proof of them doing it illegally?"

5 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. Re:And? by dingen · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The astroturfing itself isn't that newsworthy, but if it could be proved MS is doing something illegal here, it might blow up and become quite something.

    --
    Pretty good is actually pretty bad.
  2. M$ is the king of astroturfing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    M$ has always used and will always use astroturfing to do whatever it can to push their DRM infested non free software, even use astroturfers on multiple accounts to shill for M$ and M$ using astroturfers to shill for their failed Xbone. They know their days are numbered Windoze as GNU/Linux and GNU/Hurd are both gaining ground so they will now astroturf to get a monopoly in the gaming arena just as they are using digital restrictions management infested features in a BIOS called restricted boot so M$ can regain and keep their illegal monopoly. M$ is a convicted monopolist and this is what happens when the sheeple forget the history of M$.

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    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
    Friends do assist M$ addicted friends in committing suicide.

  3. Machinima sucks by sproketboy · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Machinima sucks anyway. Please avoid. You're much better off with the independent reviewers like Angry Joe and TotalBiscuit.

  4. Re:Well by dskzero · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I've been at that point for the last ten years. Once I grew out of Pokémon and Zelda I haven't had any reason to play a console game.

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    Oblivion Awaits
  5. Re:And? by Wraithlyn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You're right that the headline overstates things, but on the flip side, this isn't a court of law. We are entitled to educated guesses as to where such a "positive endorsement clause" most likely originated from.

    If YOUR guess is, "I bet Machinima did that by themselves", my opinion is that you're fucking naive. I could be wrong of course.

    Have a nice day.

    --
    "Mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent present in every electron." -Freeman Dyson