On July 14, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona against a group of companies and individuals operating under the “Accelerated Debt” brand, alleging they...more
7/24/2025
/ Advertising ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Debt Relief ,
Elder Abuse ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fraud ,
FTC Act ,
Gramm-Leach-Blilely Act ,
Scams ,
Telemarketing ,
Telemarketing Sales Rule ,
Veterans
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with NextMed parent company Southern Health Solutions, Inc., in response to allegations that the telemedicine platform offered deceptive claims and fake...more
7/18/2025
/ Advertising ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
EFTA ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Fake Reviews ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
FTC Act ,
Hidden Fees ,
Medicare ,
Online Reviews ,
Section 5 ,
Settlement ,
Telehealth ,
Testimonial Statements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On June 24, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against Mercury Marketing, LLC, and several affiliated entities and individuals alleging that the...more
7/1/2025
/ Advertising ,
Affiliates ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Drug Treatment ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Lead Generators ,
Marketing ,
Scams ,
Substance Abuse ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
In a lawsuit that will likely be closely watched, Xlear, Inc.—a Utah-based manufacturer of xylitol-based hygiene products—has filed a federal lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and its chairman, Andrew N....more
6/27/2025
/ Administrative Authority ,
Advertising ,
Advertising Substantiation ,
Chevron Deference ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
First Amendment ,
FTC Act ,
Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo ,
Manufacturers ,
Personal Care Products ,
Section 5 ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
In a decision underscoring the complexity and risks of making environmental marketing claims, the National Advertising Division (NAD) issued a decision in a challenge brought by the International Bottled Water Association...more
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Andrew Ferguson has promised vigorous law enforcement under his leadership. Consistent with that promise, on June 10, 2025, the Commission announced a $1.9 million settlement with...more
6/16/2025
/ Advertising ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Marketing ,
Opioid ,
Settlement ,
Telemarketing
On May 15, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Andrew Ferguson testified before the House Appropriations Committee in support of the FTC’s budget request. His testimony provides insight into the agency’s downsizing and...more
5/27/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Budget ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Online Safety for Children ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Robocalling ,
Scams ,
Small Business ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
Subscription Services ,
Veterans
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed order requiring Workado, a company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) detection tools, to stop advertising the accuracy of its AI detection tools...more
With tariffs creating an atmosphere where “imported” may soon come to mean “expensive,” American businesses might be tempted to use their advertising and packaging to emphasize the American origin of their product, no matter...more
4/17/2025
/ Advertising ,
California ,
Class Action ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
False Advertising ,
FTC Act ,
Made in the USA ,
Manufacturers ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Section 5 ,
Tariffs
In one of the first settlements since the new administration took office, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a $17 million monetary judgment with Cleo AI to resolve allegations that Cleo violated Section 5 of the...more
4/2/2025
/ Automatic Renewals ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
Mobile Apps ,
Popular ,
ROSCA ,
Settlement ,
Subscription Services ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On March 21, a federal judge in Washington state denied Doxo Inc.’s motion to dismiss a complaint brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding Doxo’s alleged deceptive advertising practices. ...more
3/31/2025
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Gramm-Leach-Blilely Act ,
Online Platforms ,
Payment Systems ,
ROSCA ,
Subscription Services ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On March 10, the Department of Justice (DOJ) moved to drop a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Xlear, which marketed a line of over-the-counter saline nasal spray products touted to treat...more
3/18/2025
/ Advertising ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dismissals ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Misleading Statements ,
Pending Litigation ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Venable's AdLaw Symposium is back!
Please join us in our Washington, DC, headquarters for this highly anticipated event focused on providing you with the information you need to promote your brand with confidence....more
3/7/2025
/ Advertising ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Auto-Renewal ,
Best Practices ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Chief Compliance Officers ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Events ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Greenwashing ,
Legal Ethics ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
Pricing ,
Privacy Laws ,
Risk Mitigation ,
State Regulators ,
Subscription Services
We’ve written previously about the Trump administration’s effort to increase his influence over independent agencies such as the FTC and to review regulations promulgated by these agencies. The White House is also reportedly...more
3/4/2025
/ Administrative Agencies ,
Consumer Fraud ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Involuntary Reduction in Force ,
Online Platforms ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Section 5 ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Last month, a putative class action was filed against Procter & Gamble challenging various green advertising claims for its Charmin toilet paper. The complaint brought a variety of state law claims targeting P&G’s...more
2/4/2025
/ Consumer Protection Laws ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Environmental Litigation ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Green Guides ,
Greenwashing ,
Putative Class Actions ,
State Law Claims ,
Sustainability ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Environmental claims are a powerful tool for companies to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and connect with values-driven consumers. However, these claims are facing increased legal scrutiny, as governments and...more
As part of a flurry of activity this week before the change in its leadership, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced proposed rulemakings regarding deceptive earnings claims by multilevel marketers and money-making...more
1/20/2025
/ Advertising ,
Earnings Reports ,
False Advertising ,
False Statements ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
MLM ,
MLM Industry ,
NPRM ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Join us as we spotlight select chapters of Venable’s popular Advertising Law Tool Kit, which helps marketing teams navigate the legal risk of campaigns and promotions....more
During the dog days of August, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought two complaints against auto companies involving alleged deceptive and discriminatory price advertising....more
9/4/2024
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Advertising ,
Choice-of-Venue ,
Consent ,
Discrimination ,
Disparate Impact ,
ECOA ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Marketing ,
Race Discrimination ,
Section 5
This summer the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has turned up the heat on two companies that provide extended car repair coverage, CarShield and American Auto Shields, for deceptive and misleading advertising and telemarketing...more
8/6/2024
/ Advertising ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Consumer Contracts ,
Consumer Insurance Products ,
Endorsements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Influencers ,
Service Contracts ,
Social Media ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Last month, in a joint effort with the Department of Labor (DOL), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settled an action against Arise Virtual Solutions, Inc. related to charges that the company regularly used misleading...more
8/2/2024
/ Advertising ,
Business Opportunity Laws ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Job Ads ,
Misleading Statements ,
Section 5 ,
Statutory Violations
In early July the Staff of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued new guidance on how to approach Made in USA claims. The agency says the new guidance will help businesses comply with its “all or virtually all” standard,...more
In February 2024, a New York federal jury returned a split verdict in the New York attorney general’s lengthy battle against Quincy Bioscience, finding that certain of Quincy’s efficacy and establishment claims for a dietary...more
State attorneys general (AGs) are the chief legal officers of their states or territories and can bring actions to protect the “public interest” in almost any area of law. They represent the state government and the general...more
Listen to Episode 11 of our podcast, the Ad Law Tool Kit Show. In this episode, former Venable partner Alexandra Megaris talks to host Len Gordon about state attorney general investigations. Check out the episode....more