Business Blog

Companies are increasingly marketing payment plans known as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). Although BNPL plans vary in their exact terms, people typically pay for purchases over a period of several weeks...

What marketing techniques do kids, including teens, encounter in the various digital spaces they frequent? And what do we know about their cognitive abilities at different ages and developmental...

Whether you’re a gig worker, work at a business that relies on gig workers, or enjoy the benefits of their labor, the FTC just announced a policy statement about the gig economy that merits your...

It’s ironic that the only thing clear about digital dark patterns is the FTC’s commitment to protect consumers from the injury they inflict. A new FTC Staff Report sheds light on the ways that...

Most people now rely on online reviews of products and services to help decide what to buy or where to buy it, and many companies rely on reviews to attract customers. People should be able to trust...

Clear your calendar this afternoon – Thursday, September 8, 2022 – and watch the live webcast of the FTC’s virtual public forum regarding its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on commercial...

In the annals of marketing, “pre-approved” ranks right up there with “free” and “low-calorie” as a term guaranteed to attract people’s attention. The FTC just announced a $3 million proposed...

Are we the only ones who remember C.W. McCall’s novelty song, “Convoy”? To paraphrase the lyrics of one of the few #1 hits about truckers, “Mercy sakes alive,” the FTC is “puttin’ the hammer down” on...

Reviews and endorsements can be highly influential when consumers are shopping for widgets and gadgets. But when they’re looking for the right platform to use in a rental search, the personal...

When people seek medical care or visit other sensitive locations, they may think their presence is confidential. Little do most consumers know that if they have their phones with them, their location...

Commercial surveillance refers to the pervasive collection, tracking, and monetization of personal data. It’s an enterprise that has proven astonishingly lucrative for platforms and other businesses...

Like peanut butter and jelly, some things just go together. Then there are things that are bad on their own and even worse when combined. A proposed FTC settlement adds a new duo to that category...

It’s a discussion taking place around kitchen tables at this very moment: “What healthcare coverage is best for us – and how can we afford it?” Even with glossaries, tables, and charts ‘n’ graphs, it...

Globe-trotting swindlers may try to evade law enforcement agencies intent on bringing them to justice. But they’re not factoring in the tenacity of public servants like Assistant United States...

We often talk about homes, cars, and education as the largest purchases people will ever make. But for many consumers, the cost of buying a franchise is the financial commitment of a lifetime. Some...

The FTC has been fighting COVID-related deception on multiple fronts. We’ve challenged bogus claims for “treatments.” We’ve taken action against companies that targeted cash-strapped small businesses...

As the old adage goes, the three rules of real estate are “location, location, location.” But according to the FTC, online real estate company Opendoor Labs pitched its services to home sellers with...

We’ll lay our cards on the table: Protecting small businesses from deceptive and unfair practices is a key priority for the FTC. That includes taking action when payment processing companies that...

To paraphrase that famous question of acoustics and philosophy, if research falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it still make a sound? The FTC needs to hear from you by Friday, July 29, 2022...

Take a closer look at some of the companies that publicly proclaim to “Support Our Troops” and you may find illegal conduct suggesting that a more accurate slogan for them could be “Thwart Our Troops...