As I scroll through my Facebook or Instagram feeds I am being bombarded with posts about LEGO and it is not unwelcome believe me. In fact that is why I am there to share the love of LEGO. Unfortunately, I cannot sift out which posts are paid/sponsored ones and which ones are fan based.
Yes, they are all fan based LEGO posts. However, many of them are in a paid relationship with the manufacturer and are not following FTC guidelines so it is clear how they got their products.
So right up front… I am not nor have I ever been a recognized online media outlet for the LEGO company. I have never received any products from them that they in turn expect me to promote on my channels. All my LEGO sets have been purchased by me except for the rare few that may have been gifts from friends or family.
The FTC has set up guidelines for influencers and bloggers to follow when they are paid or given products from companies and then turn around and share that product or service online with their readers.
Those guidelines are there for a reason. So we, the readers, can make up our own minds as to whether or not their opinion of the product has been swayed by them being paid or given said item.
LEGO has a set of rules and guidelines for everything except possibly this. And purhaps they should because it appears their influencers either don’t know about this FTC law or they are flat out ignoring it.
Let me be clear. I don’t want any of the folks I mention in this post to get into trouble (that is kind of why I am writing this) and I certainly do not want LEGO to be fined.
I have reached out to LEGO about this and I am still waiting to hear back as of this posting.
I have reached out to the influencers I use as examples as well. I do not have the reach they do, but hope they take me seriously and make changes so they are in compliance with the FTC guidelines on social media posts.
And by them adhering to the guidelines then maybe others will too.
First up. Brickfinder.net they are listed as a recognized online or media site by LEGO. Which means they have access to the LEGO Ambassador Network and LEGO products. I have to assume LEGO send them products to review, but neither their site posts nor their social media posts ever disclose that relationship. I could be wrong and they, like me, are just spending a small fortune with LEGO every month. If it is your own money that purchased the product you don’t have to disclose that according to the FTC.
One of my favorite sites out there is NewElementary.com. Excellent news, information, and reviews about all things LEGO. Social media, whether Instagram or Facebook, never mentions their relationship with LEGO. They are sent sets and probably even bags of just parts for their reviews and seed part events (again just guess on the parts).
See this big long post yet no disclose about the relationship (which should be at the top before the more link in the description.
And because this is an ongoing relationship with LEGO (they are getting products sent to them on the regular) they must disclose this relationship every time they endorse (mention) the company or one of their products even when that product was not sent to them. So basically every single page on the site and every single social media post should have a disclosure on it.
The next image shows a post that raises a whole new set of questions for me. When a site like this is sent the sets from LEGO, but hands them off to another person to review or use in a different way does that person now have a relationship with LEGO by proxy and have to disclose that? I think yes. But that will be for LEGO legal and the Federal Trade Commission to figure out.
They are excellent with both the fact that they disclose this on their website posts and that this disclosure is prominently placed and clear. It is just lacking in the social media posts.
CandidBricks.com is anither great source of LEGO information. They are based in Singapore. But because they reach USA buyers they too must disclose their relationship with LEGO.
There is no disclosures on any of their social media. There is a discloure on their website posts but only on the ones they review and way at the bottom. FTC guidelines now state disclosure should be clear and near the top of the posts.
New Elementary Facebook post with no disclosure
Honestly this is only a small fraction of the posts that go against the FTC guidelines. I have seen no changes since I brought this to the above sites’ attention and unless LEGO enforces it I doubt we will.