Way back in 2009, Kellogg Company reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to stop advertising its Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal as some kind of magical brain booster that would make kids smarter. But it’s taken four years for that issue to finally be put to bed after finally reaching a $4 million settlement in a class action lawsuit related to the same advertising. [More]
Kellogg Finally Settles “Frosted Mini-Wheats Don’t Make You Smarter” Class Action Lawsuit
By May 31, 2013
FTC Handing Out $1.7M In Refunds To Victims Of “Free Government Grant” Scam
By May 9, 2013
Reminder: Just because the President’s face is on a web site that’s offering products ostensibly related to the government, it doesn’t make it true. Way back in 2009 the Federal Trade Commission put the smackdown on a bunch of sites that were selling products that would help consumers get free government grant money. Thing is, the government had nothing to do with it, and didn’t much appreciate being used in such a way. Some 22,764 consumers are now set to get refunds in the case. [More]
FTC Says Social Media Ads Have To Be Held To Same Rules As Traditional Ads
By March 13, 2013
One of the important duties held by the Federal Trade Commission is making sure ads don’t mislead consumers. Yesterday the FTC set out clear rules for short-form ads on social media like Twitter and Facebook as well. Namely, they have to be held to the same basic requirement as other advertising — be upfront about what’s going on. [More]
FTC Says It’s Got 744 Ideas On How To Stop Robocalls & Turning Off The Phone Isn’t One
By January 31, 2013
Spurred on not only by the reward of finally ending those dagnabbed robocalls, but also a $50,000 prize, consumers submitted 744 ideas to the Federal Trade Commission in its FTC Robocall Challenge. Considering how widespread our collective annoyance is with the phone nuisances, we sure do hope one of these succeeds. [More]
Food Companies Have Figured Out How To Market To Kids: Smartphones, Duh
By December 21, 2012
If you’re suddenly hearing things from your kids like, “Mommy, can I please have a [insert food item child has never, ever asked for before]?” just look at the piece of electronic gadgetry in your child’s hands. Food marketers have wised up to the fact that kids these days are getting smartphones younger and younger, and subsequently becoming glued to the devices early on. Ah, nothing like a captive audience to get your ad campaign across. [More]
Web Site Operator Fined $1M For Using Kids’ Love Of Justin Bieber To Illegally Collect Their Info
By October 4, 2012
The teeming, screaming masses of fans in love with Justin Bieber, Rihanna or Demi Lovato are young and Internet savvy, and a tempting demographic for businesses. The thing is, you can try to market to those kids but you can’t collect their personal information without parental permission, which is why the operator of fan Web sites for those three musicians has to pay $1 million for running afoul of Federal Trade Commission rules. [More]
FTC Goes After Marketers Hawking Natural Remedies For Bed Bug & Head Lice Problems
By September 10, 2012
If you’ve ever had bed bugs or known anyone who’s endured an infestation, you know what a nightmarishly awful, stressful and expensive problem it can be. That’s why the Federal Trade Commission doesn’t want two companies to prey on consumer distress by offering up natural remedies for bedbugs and head lice if they’re not really that effective at getting rid of the critters. [More]
Advocacy Groups Claim Companies Are Using Online Games To Turn Kids Into Tiny Marketers
By August 22, 2012
Playing a game online might seem like an innocent enough activity for a kid, but what if said game is run by McDonald’s and asks for the child’s email address at the end, while encouraging them to share the experience with their friends? That sounds a lot like marketing to kids and using them as tiny marketers without parental consent. So say advocacy groups that are urging the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on companies soliciting email addresses from kids. [More]
Google On The Hook For A Record $22.5 Million In Safari Privacy Case
By August 9, 2012
Better start digging around in those couch cushions, Google. The company has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that it fudged privacy settings of Apple’s Safari Internet browser when it told users it wouldn’t place cookies or serve targeted ads. It’s going to cost Google a pretty penny to pay the civil penalty — a record $22.5 million. [More]
FTC Applauds Twitter For Signing On With "Do Not Track" Firefox Feature
By May 17, 2012
Twitter is joining the ranks of other websites that allow users to control who is checking out their online doings, announcing today that it is all set to support Do Not Track. For those not in the know, Do Not Track is a feature in Firefox that allows Internet surfers to tell participating websites that they don’t want their activity tracked. [More]
Skechers To Pay $40 Million In Refunds Because Putting On Shoes Is Not A Workout
By May 16, 2012
News flash: you can’t work out by not working out. As we predicted in November, the Federal Trade Commission has settled with shoemaker Skechers over claims that their rounded-bottom Shape-Up shoes helped wearers to tone their lower-body muscles and lose weight. These claims were all over ads and promotional material for the shoes, including an ad that aired during the 2011 Super Bowl. [More]
Debt Collectors Settle With The FTC, Say They Won't Pose As Ed McMahon Anymore
By May 15, 2012
The Federal Trade Commission and defendants in a debt collection operation have reached a proposed settlement, after the FTC had alleged in its complaint that the defendants knew, or should have known, that not all the magazine subscription debts they were trying to collect on were valid. There’s also a line in there about pretending to be Ed McMahon, which is just so wrong. [More]
FTC: Payday Lender Can't Avoid Prosecution By Claiming Tribal Affiliation
By April 3, 2012
A Colorado payday loan operation that allegedly piled on undisclosed and inflated fees — and which attempted to avoid prosecution by claiming affiliation with Native American tribes — has been sued by the Federal Trade Commission, which says the sovereign immunity laws don’t prevent investigations by the feds. [More]
FTC Commissioner Puts Verbal Smackdown On Facebook & Google Over Privacy
By January 27, 2012
Aww, snap! Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill doesn’t care that her speech opening a forum on Data Privacy Day was being streamed on Facebook and likely Googled by many — she still put the verbal smackdown on those two companies for their problems protecting user privacy. [More]
FTC Investigates Twitter For The Way It Deals With Third-Party App Makers
By July 1, 2011
Twitter has found itself in the Federal Trade Commission’s cross hairs once again, this time over its treatment of companies that develop applications for the service. In March, Twitter settled with the FTC following an investigation of privacy violation allegations. [More]
FTC Complaint: Dropbox Misinformed Users About Security
By May 16, 2011
According to a Federal Trade Commission complaint lodged against online storage service Dropbox, users were told they had more security than they actually did. [More]
VIDEO: FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz Chats With Consumerist
By April 13, 2011
Earlier today, Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz visited the Consumer Reports compound in Yonkers, NY. While there, Consumerist’s Executive Editor Meghann Marco managed to score a sit-down interview with him. [More]
FTC Protects Your Privacy, But FCC Rules At Hoops
By April 24, 2010
In a wide-ranging interview, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz spoke with NPR’s On the Media about the agency’s role in protecting consumer privacy, fighting back against deceptive marketing practices — and about Leibowitz’s weekend basketball games with Federal Communications Commission chief Julius Genachowski: “Julius has been schooling me on the basketball court for some time. … He’s very crafty.” [More]
