NAD Takes Strict Position on Employee ​“Endorsements”

In 2019, the FTC announced a settlement with a retailer over allegations that it had encouraged employees to write favorable reviews of its products without disclosing they worked for the company. Most observers weren’t surprised that the FTC found that conduct to be problematic or that the terms of the settlement required the company to instruct employees to clearly disclose that worked for the company when reviewing its products. But employee reviews often involve more subtle issues, and a recent NAD decision on some of those issues may surprise some readers.