Is FTC cracking down on celebrity posts in general, or are they cracking down on companies which celebrities are self-employed in, and that sell advertisement?
Companies are made of people, and people have human rights. However, in order to have any market regulations at all, we need to limit what companies can say and do. As such we normally separate what people do in the name of a company, and what people do as a private citizen. For example, we expect police to speak and act in a specific way when acting as policemen, but they are completely free to write and say anything under the 1st Amendment when not on duty and representing the police force.
> Companies are made of people, and people have human rights.
Companies are a fictitious, they are not natural, they don't exist without people or laws and they exist only to serve the betterment of society. Just because humans have right does not mean companies do.
> For example, we expect police to speak and act in a specific way when acting as policemen, but they are completely free to write and say anything under the 1st Amendment when not on duty and representing the police force.
Poor example. Police are public servants and don't work for companies, they work for society and all of society and how they behave off duty is an excellent reflection of how they would behave on duty. If a police officer posts racist Facebook posts, they can and should be fired.
Companies are groups of people acting in concert toward goals. There is very little that is more natural for social primates like humans to do. Your distinction and definitions are the real fiction.
I agree with this definition. Additionaly, these same groups of people should be held accountable in a court of law for crimes performed/delegated from behind the facade of a "corporate" entity.
Companies are made of people, and people have human rights. However, in order to have any market regulations at all, we need to limit what companies can say and do. As such we normally separate what people do in the name of a company, and what people do as a private citizen. For example, we expect police to speak and act in a specific way when acting as policemen, but they are completely free to write and say anything under the 1st Amendment when not on duty and representing the police force.