This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit in federal court against rideshare and delivery company Uber for allegedly deceptive subscription practices, including making it unreasonably difficult to cancel....more
4/25/2025
/ Automatic Renewals ,
Cancellation Rights ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Negative Option Rule ,
Ridesharing ,
Subscription Services ,
Uber ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Join us as we spotlight select chapters of Venable’s popular Advertising Law Tool Kit, which helps marketing teams navigate their organization’s legal risk. ...more
With tariffs creating an atmosphere where “imported” may soon come to mean “expensive,” American businesses might be tempted to use their advertising and packaging to emphasize the American origin of their product, no matter...more
4/17/2025
/ Advertising ,
California ,
Class Action ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
False Advertising ,
FTC Act ,
Made in the USA ,
Manufacturers ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Section 5 ,
Tariffs
Venable’s Advertising and Marketing Group hosted its 11th Advertising Law Symposium at our offices in Washington, DC on March 20. The symposium brought together both business and legal professionals, including in-house...more
4/9/2025
/ Advertising ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Greenwashing ,
NAD ,
PFAS ,
Privacy Laws ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
State Privacy Laws ,
Trump Administration
The Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and class action plaintiffs continue to scrutinize negative option and continuity offers, including automatic renewals, free-to-pay conversions, and continuity programs....more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has historically focused on protecting Americans in their role as consumers. But, pursuant to a recent directive issued in February 2025 by FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, the FTC will also...more
In one of the first settlements since the new administration took office, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a $17 million monetary judgment with Cleo AI to resolve allegations that Cleo violated Section 5 of the...more
4/2/2025
/ Automatic Renewals ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
Mobile Apps ,
Popular ,
ROSCA ,
Settlement ,
Subscription Services ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On March 21, a federal judge in Washington state denied Doxo Inc.’s motion to dismiss a complaint brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding Doxo’s alleged deceptive advertising practices. ...more
3/31/2025
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Gramm-Leach-Blilely Act ,
Online Platforms ,
Payment Systems ,
ROSCA ,
Subscription Services ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Federal Communications Commission v. Consumers’ Research (consolidated with SHLB Coalition v. Consumers’ Research), a case about the role of executive administrative...more
New York lawmakers—with full support from the attorney general—are pushing a sweeping expansion of consumer protection laws that could turn routine financial transactions into the next big class action battleground and expand...more
Ending speculation and uncertainty about whether new leadership at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would repeal or continue to defend the agency’s Negative Option Rule, which regulates offerings such as autorenewal of...more
3/21/2025
/ Auto-Renewal ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Negative Option Rule ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Subscription Services ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On March 18, President Trump fired the two Democratic commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The removals of Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter are the latest in a series of executive actions that will...more
3/20/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Appeals ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Government Agencies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Political Parties ,
Precedential Opinion ,
SCOTUS ,
Termination ,
Trump Administration
New York attorney general Leticia James is the latest state-level actor to respond to the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink federal consumer protection agencies. James has championed the FAIR Business Practices Act, a...more
On March 10, the Department of Justice (DOJ) moved to drop a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Xlear, which marketed a line of over-the-counter saline nasal spray products touted to treat...more
3/18/2025
/ Advertising ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dismissals ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Misleading Statements ,
Pending Litigation ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
State attorneys general (AGs) have long played a significant role in consumer protection enforcement, often acting as frontline regulators alongside federal agencies. For consumer financial services companies, an AG...more
Venable's AdLaw Symposium is back!
Please join us in our Washington, DC, headquarters for this highly anticipated event focused on providing you with the information you need to promote your brand with confidence....more
3/7/2025
/ Advertising ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Auto-Renewal ,
Best Practices ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Chief Compliance Officers ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Events ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Greenwashing ,
Legal Ethics ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
Pricing ,
Privacy Laws ,
Risk Mitigation ,
State Regulators ,
Subscription Services
Join us as we spotlight select chapters of Venable’s popular Advertising Law Tool Kit, which helps marketing teams navigate their organization’s legal risk. ...more
We’ve written previously about the Trump administration’s effort to increase his influence over independent agencies such as the FTC and to review regulations promulgated by these agencies. The White House is also reportedly...more
3/4/2025
/ Administrative Agencies ,
Consumer Fraud ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Involuntary Reduction in Force ,
Online Platforms ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Section 5 ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Last week, a security services company and several trade groups filed their merits brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) newly adopted Negative Option Rule,...more
2/26/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
B2B Transactions ,
Cancellation Rights ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
FTC Act ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Statutory Authority ,
Subscription Services ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Last week, President Trump issued two executive orders aimed squarely at upending the long-accepted authority and independence of certain federal agencies. The first order, Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies, derides...more
2/24/2025
/ Administrative Authority ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Government Agencies ,
NLRB ,
OIRA ,
OMB ,
SCOTUS ,
Trump Administration
Join us as we spotlight select chapters of Venable’s popular Advertising Law Tool Kit, which helps marketing teams navigate their organization’s legal risk. ...more
With much of the administrative state in turmoil, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) appears to be holding steady and continuing to litigate its current cases. We previously discussed the FTC’s lawsuit against Grand Canyon...more
Last month, a putative class action was filed against Procter & Gamble challenging various green advertising claims for its Charmin toilet paper. The complaint brought a variety of state law claims targeting P&G’s...more
2/4/2025
/ Consumer Protection Laws ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Environmental Litigation ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Green Guides ,
Greenwashing ,
Putative Class Actions ,
State Law Claims ,
Sustainability ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Combatting Auto Retail Scams (CARS) rule....more
2/3/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Appeals ,
Automotive Industry ,
CARS Rule ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
FTC Act ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Vacated
Environmental claims are a powerful tool for companies to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and connect with values-driven consumers. However, these claims are facing increased legal scrutiny, as governments and...more