FTC: Just Use 'Ad:' in Sponsored Tweets and You'll Be Fine

The Federal Trade Commission did something unusual on Tuesday: It prescribed a quick and dirty way for advertisers to disclose an ad message on Twitter. The solution? Put "Ad:" before a tweet and use just three characters out of the allotted 140

"They actually gave us an example," says Eric Goldman, a professor of law at Santa Clara University School of Law. Goldman says that usually the FTC is clear about what it doesn't want advertisers to do in social media, but is much more reticent when it comes to making recommendations. ("Sponsored" is also acceptable for tweets, the FTC notes in the report, though that takes up six more characters.)