By: Linda L. Goodman The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has issued a final ruling on the Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, updating a longstanding rule governing mail and telephone-based retailers to explicitly include e-commerce vendors as well. The rule […]
FTC Shuts Down Online Operation Selling Worthless High School Diplomas!
By: Linda L. Goodman On September 16th, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed a complaint against Diversified Educational Resources, LLC (“DER”), Motivational Management & Development Service, Ltd. (“MMDS”), and IDM Services LLC (“IDM”). Also named as defendants are Maria T. […]
FTC Working with the CFPB to take down Payday Lenders
By: Linda L. Goodman On September 17, 2014, the FTC unsealed a lawsuit filed against Tim Coppinger, Ted Rowland, and the dozens of shell companies they allegedly used to defraud online payday loan applicants out of millions of dollars. The […]
The Best Way to Avoid Head Lice is to Avoid Head to Head Contact…The Best Way to Avoid an FTC Fine is….Claim Substantiation…Claim Substantiation….
By: Linda L. Goodman On September 16th, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) charged Lornamead, Inc. with deceiving consumers with exaggerated claims that its “Lice Shield” shampoo, stick, and spray products would prevent or reduce the risk of getting head lice. […]
TinyCo Pays Big FTC Fine – Warning FTC Enforcement of COPPA!
By: Linda L. Goodman TinyCo, the developer of child-directed apps including Tiny Pets, Tiny Zoo, Tiny Village, Tiny Monsters, and Mermaid Resort, will pay a civil penalty in the sum of $300,000 to the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) for failure […]
CFPB Warns Marketers of Credit Cards!
By: Linda L. Goodman The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) has sent out a warning to credit card companies that marketing false interest-rate promotions is now on their target list for enforcement actions. The CFPB issued a bulletin that some […]
Green Coffee Bean Manufacturer Fails the FTC Substantiation Test!
By: Linda L. Goodman Not all studies are created equal, and not all studies will provide sufficient substantiation for marketers in the weight loss vertical. Texas-based Applied Food Sciences, Inc. (“AFS”), learned this lesson the hard way and paid $3.4 […]
New York AG Give 5 Steps to Avoid Data Breaches!
By: Linda L. Goodman In July, the New York Attorney General issued a tough report to data collectors. The report titled “Information Exposed: Historical Examination of Data Security in New York State,” analyzes the past eight years’ of data breaches […]
What are the Two Things Missing in the FTC Settlement With L’oreal?
By: Linda L. Goodman In national advertising campaigns that encompassed print, radio, television, internet, and social media outlets, L’Oreal claimed that its Génifique products were “clinically proven” to “boost genes’ activity and stimulate the production of youth proteins that would […]
Is another Ad Network Driven Privacy Solution Good for the Industry?
By: Linda L. Goodman The Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”), a self-regulatory trade group, announced on June 19, 2014, that it has developed an app that enables mobile consumers to opt-out of behavioral advertising on smartphones and tablets. The app is […]