The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced settlements with two online companies for allegedly misleading customers about automatic membership renewal costs. On September 2, 2020, the FTC announced that Age of Learning, Inc., d/b/a ABCmouse, will pay $10 million to settle charges that the company enrolled thousands of consumers in a negative option scheme to
Interested in environmental marketing? Do you make and sell plastic products? Partner Sheila Millar and Counsel Boaz Green discuss a bill likely to become law in California that further restricts environmental marketing claims for plastic products sold in California. AB 2287 would expand restrictions on plastic degradability claims by effectively banning marine degradable claims. Read
More than 160 million Americans play video games. Originally designed as single-use purchases for consoles or computers, video games are now downloadable, making them more accessible to consumers than ever. One important development for the video game industry has been the creation of “micro purchases” – in-game transactions such as “loot boxes” that players can
Marketing products as environmentally friendly can induce customers to pay higher prices than they would for other goods. But when promises of lower emissions or higher insultation ratings prove false, that hurts consumers, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) steps in. The FTC recently concluded its four-year long false advertising case against Volkswagen and Porsche
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has for some years targeted deceptive Made in USA claims as an enforcement priority, as we have previously discussed (see our most recent blog post on Made in USA here). Since 1999, the FTC has brought 28 enforcement actions against companies falsely claiming their products were American made. The
One of the first formal privacy safe harbor programs was created under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Put simply, businesses are deemed in compliance with COPPA if they belong to an FTC-approved COPPA safe harbor program and follow the safe harbor program’s guidelines. But the FTC takes seriously any false claim about participation
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted regulatory agencies to take swift action against companies that falsely advertise their products as treatments for the virus. As we previously reported, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued joint warning letters to seven companies in March for advertising and selling products or services
Online shopping has taken on greater importance for many people homebound since the coronavirus lockdowns began. And, while many are lounging at home in pajamas and yoga pants, there are still a lot of fashion-conscious shoppers out there anxious to take advantage of bargain prices and speedy deliveries. But how is a stay-at-home fashionista supposed
Canadian company Tapplock, Inc. sells smart locks to the U.S. market that the company advertised as “sturdy,” “secure,” and even “unbreakable.” Tapplock’s assurances that the locks were strengthened with “double-layered lock design” and made with “anti-shim and anti-pry technologies” could be quite an enticement for consumers looking for top-of-the-line connected home security. There was a
While the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s recent action against Williams-Sonoma for allegedly false “Made in USA” claims garnered headlines for its $1 million penalty, FTC staff continue to offer insights into the Commission’s enforcement position on such claims through its closing letter process. For example, the FTC sent a closing letter to epoxy manufacturer J-B