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Sometimes being the “Home of . . .” is an honorific to be proud of. Kudos, Cleveland, for rock ‘n’ roll, and thank you, Buffalo, for your contribution to chicken wings. But the Birthplace of Frauds and Scams isn’t a nickname to be envied. According to an FTC Data Spotlight , reports from consumers suggest that in many instances, that’s becoming a moniker for social media. The Data Spotlight reveals that the most frequently reported losses to...

Over the last several years, artificial intelligence (AI)—a term which can refer to a broad variety of technologies, as a previous FTC blog notes—has attracted an enormous amount of market and media attention. That’s in part because the potential of AI is exciting: there are opportunities for public progress by enhancing human capacity to integrate, analyze, and leverage information. But it’s also, perhaps in larger part, because the introduction...

Preparing for an emergency used to be an easier task for small businesses. Coastal companies could plan for hurricane season and northern businesses could expect a blizzard or two every winter. But businesses now face a host of other potentially disruptive disasters – wildfires, power outages, public health emergencies, and cyberattacks, to name just a few. Don’t let National Preparedness Month come to a close without updating your company’s plan...

Consumers, businesses, and policy makers have questions about AI, deepfakes, health privacy, and related issues, and the FTC wants to help facilitate an informed public discussion based on the facts. That’s why we’re hosting our eighth annual PrivacyCon event on March 6, 2024. The first order of business is to seek out by December 6, 2023, the latest empirical research and demonstrations from experts in the field. That may be where you come in.

The people behind online business coaching outfit Lurn promised that consumers could become “Stay-At-Home Millionaires.” But according to the FTC, Lurn, Inc., CEO Anik Singal, Tyrone Cohen, and David Kettner are now Stay-At-Home Defendants in an FTC law enforcement action challenging their deceptive money-making representations. What’s more, the complaint alleges even after receiving FTC Notices of Penalty Offenses concerning Money-Making Opportunities and Endorsements, Lurn and Singal continued to use deceptive advertising claims to bilk consumers out of millions.

Who’s privy to some of a person’s most sensitive information? A healthcare provider? A member of the clergy? Their Mom? There’s someone else to add to that list: the company that prepares their taxes. The FTC is using its Penalty Offense Authority to put five tax preparation companies on notice that they could face civil penalties if they misuse consumers’ confidential data. Not in the tax prep business? Not so fast. The Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Misuse of Information Collected in Confidential Contexts restates long-standing legal principles every business should keep in mind.

Ever wondered about the intersection of some of the health privacy and security-related laws and rules enforced by the �鶹��ý Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services? You’re not alone, which is why FTC and HHS have teamed up to update a joint publication – "Collecting, Using, or Sharing Consumer Health Information? Look to HIPAA, the FTC Act, and the Health Breach Notification Rule" – that helps businesses learn more about their legal obligations.

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...