MilConsumer Blog Feed

Businesses, platforms, social media influencers, and others who advertise or promote products to children online all have a role to play in ensuring that the boundary between advertising and entertainment is clear to children. Based in part on the insights from the 2022 FTC workshop, Protecting Kids from Stealth Advertising in Digital Media , that’s a key component of the 360° approach recommended in a just-published FTC Staff Perspective about...

In the words of Jeff Bridges’ character in the cult classic "The Big Lebowski," “I’m the Dude or His Dudeness or Duder or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.” He’d also probably answer to Hey Dude, which – ironically enough – is the name of a shoe company that just settled an FTC action for $1.95 million for alleged violations of the FTC Act and the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule. What’s more, the complaint charges that Hey Dude Shoes posted five-star consumer reviews on its website, but didn’t publish less favorable reviews. To paraphrase The Dude, “This suppression will not stand.”

Advertising keywords are the carnival barkers of the internet. Their job is to shout, “Me, me, me, me, me!” to people searching online for a product or service. If successful, they’ll get prospective customers to click on the ad or website of whoever paid their fare. A newly announced FTC case is a reminder that if you use keywords to promote your product for uses covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), it’s time to step right up and pay...

The Initial Decision in the administrative action challenging allegedly deceptive “free” claims for Intuit’s TurboTax product was just released, and the meticulous 237-page opinion is a must-read for anyone in the advertising arena.

What’s on at the FTC? Today – September 7, 2023 – the FTC is hosting a public workshop to consider proposed changes to the Funeral Rule.

There’s a scam targeting doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, but you could be a part of the cure.

We’ve all heard the adage “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” It’s been attributed to everyone from Vince Lombardi to Secretary of State James Baker. As we’ve discussed in the first four installments of our Franchise Fundamentals series, proper preparation – including a thorough pre-commitment investigation into the franchise – may help reduce the risk of painful problems later. But what if a franchisee is concerned that a subsequent business breakdown could be due to a franchisor’s precarious promises?

The FTC is continuing its assessment of how the Funeral Rule is working for consumers and businesses. The next step: a September 7, 2023, workshop, Shopping for Funeral Services. Check out the just-announced agenda.

Even with four months to go, we predict the 2023 Phrase of the Year will be “artificial intelligence.” But like a discount utensil packaged in one of those pale blue gift boxes, some marketers are using the term to conceal that what they’re peddling is nothing more than old-school deception.

The INFORM Consumers Act took effect on June 27, 2023. The FTC has issued staff guidance for online marketplaces and now we have advice for online sellers whose businesses may be affected by the new law.