The end of an era?

Does Mr. T really pity the fool who doesn’t buy a Flavorwave convection oven?

That’s the kind of question American regulators will soon be asking, in light of revisions announced Monday to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s advertising guidelines. The commission, which works against “fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices,” has modified its code regulating endorsements and testimonials. The code takes a tougher stance on starlets pushing eczema cures, washed-up movie mavens touting the virtues of a revitalizing eye cream, and TV personalities shilling everything from grills to girdles.

And bloggers are not immune to the new regulations.

The F.T.C. said that beginning on Dec. 1, bloggers who review products must disclose any connection with advertisers, including, in most cases, the receipt of free products and whether or not they were paid in any way by advertisers, as occurs frequently. The new rules also take aim at celebrities, who will now need to disclose any ties to companies, should they promote products on a talk show or on Twitter. A second major change, which was not aimed specifically at bloggers or social media, was to eliminate the ability of advertisers to gush about results that differ from what is typical — for instance, from a weight loss supplement.

For bloggers who review products, this means that the days of an unimpeded flow of giveaways may be over. More broadly, the move suggests that the government is intent on bringing to bear on the Internet the same sorts of regulations that have governed other forms of media, like television or print.

Sounds like progress to me. What were you reading today?