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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...

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...

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...

The Initial Decision in the administrative action challenging allegedly deceptive “free” claims for Intuit’s TurboTax product was just released, and the meticulous 237-page opinion is a must-read for...

Even with four months to go, we predict the 2023 Phrase of the Year will be “artificial intelligence.” But like a discount utensil packaged in one of those pale blue gift boxes, some marketers are...

The INFORM Consumers Act took effect on June 27, 2023. The FTC has issued staff guidance for online marketplaces and now we have advice for online sellers whose businesses may be affected by the new...

Let’s say someone walks into an old-fashioned record store looking for the Bright Eyes song “False Advertising.” Upon finding and buying the album, she’d have little reason to fear that store...

Just because consumers sign up for a membership or subscription doesn’t mean they sign up to get unwanted marketing email. A proposed $650,000 settlement with Experian Consumer Services just filed on...

For the millions of Americans struggling to reduce their alcohol intake or stop drinking altogether, a product called Sobrenix sounded like the answer. But according to the FTC, defendants Rejuvica...

A common trope crossing the science fiction and mystery genres is a human detective paired with a robot. Think I, Robot, based on the novels of Isaac Asimov, or Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E., a show-within-a...

Companies that use deceptive endorsements and reviews inflict an injurious double whammy. They harm consumers with misleading tactics that subvert their choices at check-out. And they take business...

The INFORM Consumers Act is effective as of June 27, 2023. Online marketplaces, have you taken the steps the statute requires? And is your site ready for scrutiny by the FTC and state law enforcers...

Most people are familiar with the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol and their visits to consumers’ homes to deliver those big checks. In a twist on the familiar scenario, this time the FTC is –...

The people who pitched business opportunities under the brand name Ganadores – “winners” in Spanish – promised to teach consumers an “infallible system” for making big money. But according to the FTC...

Certain businesses in the e-commerce space should mark June 27, 2023, on their calendars. That’s the date a new law – the INFORM Consumers Act – takes effect. The FTC and the states share law...

No one would try to run a marathon with just a few days of preparation. It takes months of rigorous training before you can step up to the starting line with confidence. Of course, the process of...

In the 2014 movie Ex Machina , a robot manipulates someone into freeing it from its confines, resulting in the person being confined instead. The robot was designed to manipulate that person’s...

When consumers dispute the validity of a credit card charge, merchants may hire a “chargeback mitigation company” to dispute the consumer’s dispute. That’s the business of a company called...

To borrow a phrase the Supreme Court coined in a different context, if there is a “fixed star” in the consumer protection constellation, it’s the advertising substantiation doctrine. In place for...

Spend time on social media and video streaming platforms and what will you find? Photos from friends’ vacations, aspirational kale salads, the latest dance fads – and ads for bogus health products...