Operation: Harsh Doorstop CEO Doubles Down On Legal Threats

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The founder and chief executive of Drakeling Labs, who is also known as Operation: Harsh Doorstop’s content creator, has reinforced his earlier remarks in a video shared on social media. On February 8th, 2025, Bluedrake42 issued a warning on social media to creators, stating that they could face legal consequences if they receive payment from competitors without disclosing it. In this new video, he elaborates on his stance, cites recent rulings by the Federal Trade Commission, and further emphasizes the potential repercussions.

Operation: Harsh Doorstop CEO doubles down on legal threats for content creators not disclosing payments

It’s essential and legally necessary for any form of sponsorships or promotional ads to be made transparent to the public. This is not only a matter of ethics but also a requirement mandated by federal law, as enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As per the FTC’s updated guidelines for social media influencers in 2023, it is crucial for influencers to openly declare any financial, employment, personal, or family ties with a brand. This includes not just monetary benefits but also perks like free flights or hotel stays. Furthermore, influencers should not presume their followers are already aware of these relationships and should make disclosures regardless of whether they believe their evaluations to be unbiased.

As a dedicated fan, I wholeheartedly agree with Bluedrake42 that it’s crucial for content creators to transparently disclose their financial ties to games. Failure to do so could lead to more than just criticism from the community, but potentially serious legal repercussions, not only from Drakeling Labs, but also from entities like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

In his latest video, Bluedrake42 has drawn attention to a specific content creator, The Act Man, who posted a video titled “Making Things Right”. In this video, he admitted to receiving paid sponsorship for a new FPS game called Delta Force. However, it appears that he failed to disclose this financial relationship in the video itself.

In the recently released video, Bluedrake42 asserted that the allegation, “Delta Force is compensating content creators in exchange for positive game reviews without proper disclosure, which has already been validated by a significant creator,” holds true. While The Act Man’s failure to reveal his sponsorship could be legally dubious, there’s a part of the video where he says, “I wasn’t paid for my opinions in that video. I was compensated to create a video, and I had complete creative freedom to decide what to include.” This statement piqued my interest when revisiting the full video.

If The Act Man truly had creative control over the video, then the proof Bluedrake42 presents about content creators receiving payment for favorable reviews might actually indicate that those creators were not paid to give good reviews, but rather were only compensated for creating reviews. In other words, if The Act Man is telling the truth about his honest review of Delta Force, it could mean that he was not paid to give a positive review, but instead was simply being compensated for making a review, period. So, is there concrete evidence showing content creators are paid to provide good reviews, or are they merely being paid to produce reviews? That distinction is crucial in this case.

It appears that Bluedrake42 is pointing out a potential issue regarding content creators discussing Delta Force, a popular first-person shooter game currently on the market. Specifically, he suggests that some content creators might be receiving payment for their positive reviews about the game, which is not only unethical but also illegal according to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) guidelines.

The FTC prohibits businesses from offering compensation or other incentives in exchange for writing consumer reviews with a specific sentiment, whether it’s positive or negative. If Bluedrake42 has witnessed contracts offering payment for favorable reviews, he advises reporting this to the FTC, especially if a large developer like the one behind Delta Force is involved in such practices.

The empty warning seems unconvincing because if creators or game companies are involved in these questionable practices, they aren’t merely acting against ethical standards; they’re breaking the law. Bluedrake42 recently shared a YouTube video where another content creator confesses to receiving payment for favorable reviews. However, the damning piece of evidence might be the contracts he openly admits to having received. At present, Bluedrake42’s moral stand appears more like a strategic positioning to dismiss negative feedback as biased rather than focusing on genuine criticism of the game. If this isn’t the case, why not disclose the contracts? Presenting the contracts from Delta Force that allegedly pay for positive reviews would substantiate their illegal activities or at least expose immoral and harmful practices towards consumers. A single contract would be enough to prove a significant gaming company was engaging in something unlawful, or at least unethical and detrimental to consumers.

It’s important to note that Bluedrake42 is correct in stating that content creators ought to declare any sponsorship agreements they may have with a particular game. Furthermore, it’s also inappropriate for companies to send out such contracts. However, at this point, no concrete proof has emerged suggesting that content creators are being compensated to write positive or negative reviews about games. Should there be any new developments regarding this ongoing issue, I will make certain to keep you informed.

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2025-02-12 22:32