(Podcast) The Briefing: Influencer Fail – ALO Yoga & Influencers Named in $150M Class Action Lawsuit for FTC Violations
LEGAL ALERT | NAD Finds Kevin Hart’s Social Media Disclosures Insufficient in Monitoring Decisions
The Briefing: How “Knockoff” Furniture Landed Kim Kardashian in an IP Lawsuit
The Briefing: How “Knockoff” Furniture Landed Kim Kardashian in an IP Lawsuit (Podcast)
(Podcast) The Briefing: Beyond the Hashtag – FTC Revises Guidelines for Endorsement Use in Advertising
Podcast - The FTC Cracks Down on Celebrity Endorsers
Hsu Untied interview with Brian Anderson, Partner at Sheppard Mullin
Is the Grass Greener? Weighing the Risks and Rewards of Celebrity Branding in the Cannabis Industry – The 2022 Cannalaw Summit: Part 2
Is the Grass Greener? Weighing the Risks and Rewards of Celebrity Branding in the Cannabis Industry – The 2022 Cannalaw Summit: Part 1
Feeling a little sluggish, a woman in California went onto Instagram to see what other people were doing to give themselves a little energy boost. When she learned that three of the influencers she followed – Devon Windsor,...more
As previously blogged about here, following notices of proposed rulemaking in 2022 and 2023, on August 22, 2024 the Federal Trade Commission finalized a rule that will impose monetary civil penalties false and misleading...more
Surprise, surprise, it turns out that the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) is serious about the misuse of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. In October 2021, the FTC sent out a Notice of Penalty Offenses to...more
While social media influencers were showing off pictures from the Amalfi Coast this summer, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was finalizing its guidelines regarding the endorsements that paid for their vacations in Italy....more
Effective July 26, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted revisions to its Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (the "Guides") to reflect the changing media landscape. The guides,...more
“Influencer marketing” generally involves collaborating with social media influencers to promote products or services in exchange for compensation, freebies, or other benefits. Contrary to popular belief, social media...more
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “the Commission”) maintains Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising to “set forth the general principles that the Commission will use in evaluating...more
In a previous blog, we discussed the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) proposed changes to its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (the “Endorsement Guides”). The Endorsement Guides are...more
The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a new rule that would make it illegal to post fake reviews and testimonials, suppress negative reviews, or pay for positive reviews....more
This week the FTC announced that it finalized its revisions to the Endorsement Guides, which give advertisers guidance on ensuring that their use of endorsements or testimonials complies with the FTC Act. At the same time,...more
With social media popularity comes more followers. With more followers comes opportunities to market products online. But as the wellness-company Teami discovered, with online marketing comes increased FTC scrutiny. The...more
The widespread use of social media platforms make them ideal for companies trying to reach a large audience. Pharmaceutical and consumer products industries frequently maintain their own social media accounts and partner with...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) questions whether the impact of its enforcement efforts are truly acting as a deterrent to stop misleading online marketing. In its latest effort to tackle the growing problems arising from...more
Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued joint warning letters to four sellers of e-liquids, the nicotine “juice” used in vaping regarding their use of social media...more
Bombay Hair tools, Daniel Wellington watches, FabFitFun boxes, HelloFresh meal kits, SugarBearHair vitamins, and more. Spend any time on Instagram and chances are you will encounter influencers promoting these products,...more
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms have become the format of choice for many companies that want to advertise their products and services. At the same time, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)...more
The FTC recently reviewed numerous Instagram posts by celebrities, athletes, and other social media influencers, and sent out more than 90 letters to those individuals to remind them to “clearly and conspicuously disclose...more
In July of 2015, I wrote about the New FTC Guidelines for Promoting Products on Social Media. I discussed the FTC’s rationale, concerns and stance on using social media to advertise and promote products. At the time, when the...more
Social media has become a must-have medium for most companies and celebrities. The medium provides an easy, inexpensive and instantaneous connection to customers and fans. However, as social media marketing continues to...more