FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras was recently interviewed about cybercrime and other Internet legal issues. The full interview is worth reading.

However, what struck me was her comments on what is a common practice…attempting to hide disclosures.

“One of the things that has always been the case, though, is that buried disclosures have never worked and have never been adequate. So if you are burying an important disclosure that’s going to make a difference to a consumer, then there’s a real question about whether that’s a true disclosure.”

What many businesses don’t recognize is that emphasizing an unfavorable disclosure can be beneficial.

Here’s why.

First, the prospect who actually reads disclosures (most don’t) will be favorably impressed with candor. If you’re burying the truth about one aspect of your product or service, people will wonder what else you’re hiding and assume the worst.

Secondly, readers often skim bold ALL-CAPS text because it is hard to read even though it appears to be yelling out the disclosure.

Hat tip to PCWorld.com

About the Author

With an advanced international law degree from Georgetown University and more than 14 years of real world legal experience, Attorney Mike Young shows entrepreneurs how to protect and grow their businesses online. He's the author of "Internet Marketing Legal Secrets Revealed," "How to Create Your Own Internet Business Without a Lawyer for Under $175," and the creator of Website Legal Forms Generator^TM. Not just a lawyer who focuses exclusively on Internet and marketing law, Mike’s been working with computers for more than 27 years (his first computer was an Atari 400 with 8 KiB RAM) and started representing Internet businesses back in 1996.