In 2009, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC")
introduced a revised version of its Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising ("Guides"),
with a primary goal of demonstrating how the Guides applied to new
marketing channels and techniques like blogs and social media.
Basic truth-in advertising principles are at the core of the
Guides, which require that endorsements must be honest and not
misleading. In addition, the Guides require disclosure of a
material connection between an endorser and the advertiser that
consumers would not expect and which could affect how consumers
evaluate the endorsement. As trends and topics continue to evolve,
on May 29, 2015, the FTC issued updated answers to its frequently
asked questions ("New FAQS") about compliance with the
Guides, providing much needed guidance on endorsement-related
issues such as incentivizing "likes" on social media,
making disclosures on Twitter, celebrity endorsements, social
