Podcast - FTC Consumer Review Rule Warning Letters Target a Digital Marketplace Cornerstone
The Trend of Threatening Physicians for Personal Gain
(Podcast) The Briefing – Fake Reviews, Real Consequences: Consumer Review Dos and Don’ts
The Briefing – Fake Reviews, Real Consequences: Consumer Review Dos and Don’ts
The FTC’s Proposed Rule Banning Deceptive Reviews and Testimonials
Negative Online Reviews and Reputation Management: Tips for Health Care Practices and Providers
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - Advertising & Customer Engagement in the Digital Age - Customer Reviews and Response
How to Find the Identity of an Anonymous Author Online
II-36- Holiday Party Tips, the 2018/2019 Federal Regulatory Agenda, and Noteworthy Cases On Suing and Being Sued
On December 22, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced it had sent warning letters to 10 companies regarding possible violations under the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule (“Rule”). Although recipients...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sent warning letters to 10 unnamed companies for practices that may allegedly violate its new Consumer Review Rule. The letters flag potential use of fake or misleading reviews,...more
In August 2024, I wrote about the Federal Trade Commission's then-new Consumer Review Rule (Adieu, Fake Revie(u)w), which is designed to preserve the authenticity of online reviews and prohibit companies from suppressing...more
The Commission’s Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials went into effect on October 21, 2024. The Rule addresses deceptive and unfair conduct involving consumer reviews and testimonials. You can review other...more
When the FTC proposed its consumer reviews and testimonials rule in 2023 (discussed here), it included a provision targeting so-called “review hijacking” — the practice of reusing reviews written for one product to promote a...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced a new action and proposed settlement with the telemedicine firm NextMed. The action, which may seem familiar to those who followed FTC advertising cases of years past,...more
Our team recently attended the ANA Masters of Advertising Law Conference and had the great fortune to hear Serena Viswanathan, associate director for the FTC’s Advertising Practices Division, discuss the Rule on the Use of...more
Once reviews are identified, a company can take steps to remove them. Generally, reviews can be removed in one of three ways: reporting the review to the FTC, reporting the review to the hosting platform, and pursuing legal...more
As we noted in a previous post, the FTC’s Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, which went into effect on October 21, 2024, addresses deceptive conduct involving consumer reviews and testimonials and...more
I admit that when I am looking online for restaurants, consumer products, and places to stay, I generally look at reviews and they influence my decision. However, there have been numerous reports that reviews are often fake...more
The Federal Trade Commission (the FTC or the Commission) voted on August 14 to approve its Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (Final Rule). The Final Rule, which will be effective on October...more
The FTC recently announced a new rule to combat fake consumer reviews and testimonials. Scott Hervey and Jessica Marlow explain how this decision will impact businesses and the influencer marketing industry in this episode of...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published a long anticipated Final Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials that prohibits certain practices the FTC deems misleading or deceptive, provides additional...more
In this post, the final part of our six-part series, we explore the nuances of the “teeth” of the FTC’s Final Rule on consumer reviews and testimonials—the money the FTC can recover for violations of the Final Rule....more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently announced a final rule that, among other things, prohibits the fabrication and manipulation of consumer reviews, testimonials, and the misuse of social media indicators in...more
On August 22, 2024, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC or the “Commission”) finalized its Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (“Final Rule”). The Final Rule prohibits the sale and...more
On August 14, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) published its long-anticipated Final Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (“Final Rule”), marking a significant development in the regulation of online...more
In this post, part of a six-part series, we explore what the FTC’s Final Rule on consumer reviews and testimonials means for incentivized reviews. The Final Rule prohibits businesses from providing compensation or other...more
The Federal Trade Commission, as we previously reported, has published a Final Rule on consumer reviews and testimonials that prohibits certain practices the FTC deems to be deceptive or misleading in six areas: (1) fake or...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published a long anticipated Final Rule that prohibits certain practices that the FTC deems misleading or deceptive when it comes to consumer reviews and testimonials. As we anticipated...more
On August 14, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced a new final rule aimed at regulating fake consumer reviews, testimonials, insider reviews, company-controlled websites, and fake indicators of social media...more
On Aug. 14, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized new rulemaking to combat deceptive acts and practices in online reviews and testimonials. The new final rule, Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews...more
The Federal Trade Commission has finalized a new rule aimed at curtailing false, misleading, and otherwise fraudulent reviews on online retail sites. Fake reviews are a significant problem for the big e-commerce platforms,...more
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) published a final rule prohibiting certain specified unfair or deceptive acts or practices involving consumer reviews and testimonials. Effective October...more