SAN FRANCISCO: On stage at an investor conference last month, Google's Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler identified a vexing challenge for the company's most prized app: its virtual assistant.
"It's not a completely clean recommendation," said Michelle Cohen, an attorney with expertise in marketing rules at Ifrah Law in Washington, D.C."If there's a financial commitment, you're supposed to disclose it." New search services that"talk" to consumers are not exempt from"the long-standing principle of making advertising distinguishable," the FTC said in letters to Google and other companies in 2013.
Results come from a marketing program, known as Google Guarantee, in which members are licensed, insured and clear of legal issues, according to Google. It refunds consumers up to US$2,000 if members botch a job.