Start with Security goes on the road again
By: Lesley Fair | Oct 14, 2015 11:03AM
Austin used to be known for Armadillo World Headquarters and the Stallion Drive-In on North Lamar that served a $4.99 chicken fried steak the size of a manhole cover. But the talk now is tech with a burgeoning industry that manages to keep the city both weird and wired. That’s why the FTC’s Start with Security program is on the road again on November 5th – this time to Austin.
By: Lesley Fair | Oct 9, 2015 1:29PM
If you have new research you’d like to present at PrivacyCon – the FTC’s January 14, 2016, national conference to explore trends in data security and consumer privacy – we need to hear from you by midnight tonight.
Gagging rights? FTC case challenges diet claims and company’s use of consumer gag clauses
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 28, 2015 9:13AM
The FTC has gone to court hundreds of times to stop allegedly misleading weight loss claims and Roca Labs’ “gastric bypass alternative” promises are no exception. But other parts of the complaint – including a count challenging the defendants’ use of consumer gag clauses as an unfair practice – warrant a careful reading.
Frank talk before buying a franchise
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 25, 2015 11:35AM
Shopping for an appliance or used car? The FTC has tips for consumers. What about when entrepreneurs are in the market for a franchise? We’ve got you covered there, too, with a recently updated publication, A Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Franchise.
No runs, no hits, three errors
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 17, 2015 11:06AM
Baseball lore has it that Hall of Famer Ted Williams’ eyesight was so acute he could see the seams on a fastball. Developers of an app called Ultimeyes claimed that using their product “gives baseball players superhuman vision.” For some of us though, a daily task like reading a menu in a dimly lit restaurant is a swing and a miss. No problem, said the company. “25 minutes on this app will improve your vision by 31%” – results supposedly verified by a published university study.
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 17, 2015 8:15AM
The Fair Credit Reporting Act isn’t just about credit. If your company uses background checks in making personnel decisions, the FTC reminds you of your obligations under the FCRA. In honor of Throwback Thursday, here’s an unconventional old-school summary of key requirements under federal law. Spin the mirrored disco ball and join us on the dance floor for “F-C-R-A.”
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 16, 2015 11:04AM
Tricolor Auto Acceptance’s multi-hued name may be particularly appropriate. According to an FTC lawsuit, the company’s violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act were enough to make consumers see red, feel blue, and perhaps lose some green in the process.
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 14, 2015 11:08AM
You don’t need to go to a water park to see performing seals. You can spot them on websites where they perform the function of conveying information about the purported environmental benefits of products. But do the groups offering those seals – and the companies that display them – have appropriate proof for the claims consumers take from them? If your clients use environmental seals or certifications, you’ll want to see the latest from the FTC staff.
There’s no place like home(opathy)
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 11, 2015 12:10PM
When the conversation turns to health, the word “homeopathy” often pops up. But what is homeopathy? What does the consumer marketplace look like? And how does the FTC’s long-standing substantiation doctrine apply to claims for OTC products advertised as homeopathic? That's the topic of an FTC workshop on Monday, September 21, 2015.
Mything the point: 6 (OK, maybe 7) myths about endorsements
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 10, 2015 3:09PM
If there’s a material connection between a marketer and an endorser, disclose it. That’s been the FTC standard for decades and it didn't change when marketing moved to social media. The FTC’s proposed settlement with online entertainment network Machinima illustrates missteps that could land advertisers, ad agencies, and PR firms in testimonial turmoil. But what about endorsers, affiliates, influencers, brand ambassadors, etc.?
Continue Reading Mything the point: 6 (OK, maybe 7) myths about endorsements
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 8, 2015 3:39PM
Does your company use background checks in evaluating job applicants? If so, are you complying with the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s notice, consent, and disclosure requirements? A closing letter the FTC staff sent to California Health & Wellness elaborates on the applicability – or, in this instance, the inapplicability – of a narrow FCRA exception.
Starting soon: Start with Security
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 8, 2015 1:47PM
The FTC’s first Start with Security conference – the latest in a line of initiatives emphasizing the importance of data security – kicks off on Wednesday, September 9th, in San Francisco in cooperation with UC Hastings College of the Law. Not able to be there in person? Don’t worry. You won’t be left sitting on the dock of the bay. You can watch the webcast from your desk. In addition, the FTC has a new resource for companies interested in starting with security.
Kids’ Apps Disclosures Revisited
By: Kristin Cohen and Christina Yeung, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Office of Technology Research and Investigation | Sep 3, 2015 11:04AM
What information are kids’ app developers collecting, who are they sharing it with, and what are they telling parents about their practices? The FTC staff first asked those questions in 2012. Fast forward three years, and how have things changed? According to the FTC’s Office of Technology Research and Investigation, the glass is both half-full and half-empty.
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 2, 2015 12:07PM
It’s one thing to create buzz about a product. But fail to disclose a material connection between an endorser and an advertiser and that buzz can wind up stinging you. That’s the message of an FTC lawsuit against Machinima, a top entertainment network on YouTube that specializes in videogame culture and generates more than 3 billion (with a b) views each month.
PrivacyCon: The research search is on
By: Lesley Fair | Aug 28, 2015 9:30AM
It’s called PrivacyCon and the first-of-its-kind FTC event is scheduled for January 14, 2016.
How pyramids are built: An inside look
By: Lesley Fair | Aug 26, 2015 11:43AM
Marketers of Vemma juice drinks went to college campuses and elsewhere to recruit “affiliates” for their “opportunity.” Affiliates were encouraged to recruit more affiliates, who in turn would recruit more affiliates, who in turn . . . . You get the picture: Lather, rinse, repeat.
Self-regulation and debt buying
By: Reilly Dolan, Associate Director, Division of Financial Practices | Aug 26, 2015 10:23AM
Last year the FTC received 280,998 complaints about questionable debt collection practices. We think consumers and responsible members of the industry can agree that number is higher than it should be. The FTC is fighting that battle on three fronts. We’ve brought dozens of cases – both on our own and with state partners – to enforce the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Section 5.
Third Circuit rules in FTC v. Wyndham case
By: Lesley Fair | Aug 25, 2015 3:25PM
FTC watchers and data security mavens, it’s the decision you’ve been waiting for. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has issued a ruling in the Commission’s favor in FTC v. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation.
By: Lesley Fair | Aug 20, 2015 1:10PM
It doesn’t take much to convince us we need something new for the shoe closet – and our vintage high-tops and periwinkle platforms stand as a silent testament to that. But an ultraviolet light contraption advertised to kill germs, fungus, and bacteria, including MRSA, inside shoes? An FTC settlement with the marketers of shUVee gives the boot to those misleading claims.
“Start with Security” starts in San Francisco
By: Lesley Fair | Aug 19, 2015 11:33AM
You’ve read Start with Security: A Guide for Business, the new brochure about the FTC’s 53 data security settlements. You’ve digested the lessons learned from those cases. The next step: applying them at your company. The FTC has an easy way to get the ball rolling.
Continue Reading “Start with Security” starts in San Francisco
