These limited excerpts are intended for informing Wikipedia community discussion about Conflict of interest
- DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
- Be honest and accurate in all communications.
- Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the member is responsible.
- Investigate the truthfulness and accuracy of information released on behalf of those represented.
- Reveal the sponsors for causes and interests represented.
- Disclose financial interest (such as stock ownership) in a client's organization.
- Avoid deceptive practices.
- Examples of Improper Conduct Under this Provision:
- Front groups: A member implements "grass roots" campaigns or letter-writing campaigns to legislators on behalf of undisclosed interest groups.
- Lying by omission: A practitioner for a corporation knowingly fails to release financial information, giving a misleading impression of the corporation's performance.
- A member discovers inaccurate information disseminated via a website or media kit and does not correct the information.
- A member deceives the public by employing people to pose as volunteers to speak at public hearings and participate in "grass roots" campaigns.
- Never deliberately concealing the practitioner’s role as representative of a client or employer, even if the client or employer remains anonymous: e.g. by promoting a cause in the guise of a disinterested party or member of the public.
- Engage in communications that is not only legal but also ethical and sensitive to cultural values and beliefs.
- Engage in truthful, accurate and fair communication that facilitates respect and mutual understanding.
- Practicing honest, candid and timely communication and by fostering the free flow of essential information in accord with the public interest.
- Are honest not only with others but also, and most importantly, with themselves as individuals.
- applies to advertisements and endorsements
- Disclaimers and disclosures must be clear and conspicuous. That is, consumers must be able to notice, read or hear, and understand the information. Still, a disclaimer or disclosure alone usually is not enough to remedy a false or deceptive claim.
- WOMMA members are committed to engaging in practices and policies that promote an environment of trust between the consumer and marketer.
- WOMMA members promote honesty and transparency in their practices and methods, such that all forms of consumer manipulation are rejected.
- Disclosure of identity: A WOMMA member shall require their representatives1 to make meaningful disclosures of their relationships or identities with consumers in relation to the marketing initiatives that could influence a consumer's purchasing decisions.
- Disclosure of consideration or compensation received: A WOMMA member shall require their representatives to disclose meaningfully and prominently all forms of consideration or compensation they received from the member, marketer or sponsor of the product or service. In other words, WOMMA members shall not engage in marketing practices where the marketer/sponsor or its representative provides goods, services, or compensation to the consumer (or communicator) as consideration for recommendations, reviews, or endorsements, unless full, meaningful, and prominent disclosure is provided.
- Disclosure of relationship: A WOMMA member shall require their representatives involved in a word of mouth initiative to disclose the material aspects of their commercial relationship with a marketer, including the specific type of any remuneration or consideration received.
- Compliance with FTC Guides: A WOMMA member shall comply with the Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission. See 16 C.F.R. §§ 255.0–255.5.
- Genuine honesty in communication: A WOMMA member shall not tell their representatives what to ultimately state in their communications about a particular product or service, so as to enable the consumer to reflect his or her honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences.
- Respect for venue: A WOMMA member shall respect the rights of any online or offline communications venue (such as a web site, blog, discussion forum, traditional media, and live setting) to create and enforce its own rules as it sees fit.
Jurisdictional rulings and professional ethical codes= edit
- Local and regional laws
Editors are individually responsible for following the laws, rules, and codes in their own jurisdiction(s) and professions, as Wikipedia's policies may not match, either being more permissive or more prohibitive. The Wikipedia database is maintained in reference to the protections afforded under relevant local and federal United States laws. Where one's local laws conflict with Wikipedia's policies, the policies on Wikipedia take precedence for Wikipedia's purposes, but local laws may still apply to editors as individuals. (See also the General disclaimer and Legal disclaimer).
Some court cases suggest editing by corporate representatives may be a violation of national or regional law. For example, in May 2012 the Munich Oberlandesgericht ruled that if a company or its agents edit Wikipedia with the aim of influencing customers, the edits constitute covert advertising, and as such are a violation of European fair trading law (see the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive). The ruling stated that readers cannot be expected to seek out user and talk pages to find editors' disclosures about their corporate affiliation. The case arose out of a claim against a company by a competitor over edits made to the article Weihrauchpräparat on the German Wikipedia. The judgment can be read here.
In another incident, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK ruled in June 2012 in relation to material about Nike on Twitter. The ASA found that the content of certain tweets from two footballers had been "agreed with the help of a member of the Nike marketing team." Since the tweets were not clearly identified as Nike marketing communications, they were therefore in breach of the ASA's code.[Sweney, Mike. "Nike becomes first UK company to have Twitter campaign banned", The Guardian, 20 June 2012. The US Federal Trade Commission's advertising guideline and internet rules also guide against deceptive practices or making promotions or endorsements without disclosure.
- Professional ethical codes
Some professional societies such as the Public Relations Society of America in their ethical guidelines of the Public Relations Society of America or the Chartered Institute of Public Relations' in their ethical code require revealing sponsors and not intentionally concealing ones role as representative of a client or employer. The International Association of Business Communicators code requires communication that is ethical, truthful, accurate and fair, that facilitates respect and mutual understanding, that is honest and candid, and that fosters the free flow of essential information in accord with the public interest. The of Mouth Marketing Association's code advises promoting an environment of trust between the consumer and marketer through honesty and transparency, without manipulation, and with meaningful disclosures of relationships or identities, compensation and commercial relationships; WOMMA also "respects online venues to create and enforces rules as they see fit."
Again, while instructive and perhaps relevant for individual editors, these laws and codes are not binding for Wikipedia unless stated specifically in our policies.