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
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
With the first quarter of 2024 in full swing, it is a good time for brands to revisit marketing compliance strategies to minimize the risk of potential class actions, regulatory enforcement actions, and competitor challenges....more
Consumers often research a product or service before they make a purchase. Now more than ever, consumers rely on the reviews and testimonials they see online. This creates a breeding ground for deception. Enter the Federal...more
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and six states permanently banned Roomster Corp. and its owners, John Shriber and Roman Zaks, from purchasing or incentivizing consumer reviews as part of a settlement over...more
We’ve all at least once (and maybe only once) played the surprisingly revealing drinking game “Never Have I Ever”. You know, you go around the table with one person asking, “Never have I ever [fill in the blank]” with the...more
On February 16, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced an enforcement action against The Bountiful Company (Bountiful) for a practice the FTC dubbed “review hijacking.” Bountiful, a vitamin and supplement company,...more
You are thinking about buying a new laptop, or you want to try a new restaurant that’s been open a few months, so what do you do first? You check the online reviews, of course. Most consumers rely heavily on online reviews to...more
You make soap, and you come out with a new scent. Then, due to supply issues, you need to change fragrance manufacturers but are confident the new fragrance is almost identical to the old fragrance. Can you use reviews of...more
Fake reviews continue to be a hot topic in consumer protection. In 2022, we reported that six states and the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Roomster – a platform through which people can find rooms and...more
The comment period on the FTC’s proposed rule regarding the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising ended September 26, 2022. The Request for Comment approved by the Federal Trade Commission in May 2022 sought...more
2022 continues to be the Year of the Review for consumer protection law enforcers. We have seen several cases already this year, and the latest suit has the added bonus of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) teaming up...more
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently imposed a $50,000 civil monetary penalty on a dental practice that disclosed patient-identifying information in response to a negative online review. The case is a reminder that...more
Regulatory scrutiny of advertising has ramped up significantly over the past year, and nowhere more so than with (1) environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, and (2) social media influencers and the Federal Trade...more
Report on Patient Privacy 22, no. 4 (April, 2022) - By many measures, David Northcutt’s unsuccessful 2018 bid for the Alabama senate was a costly one. Northcutt, a dentist, loaned his campaign $73,000 throughout the...more
On March 21, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a final administrative complaint and decision and order that finalizes a settlement with a California online fashion retailer to settle allegations that the...more
In its first case challenging a company’s failure to post negative reviews on its website as a deceptive practice, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a proposed settlement with fast-fashion retailer Fashion Nova,...more
This week, the FTC finalized an order settling a complaint alleging that an online fashion retailer blocked negative reviews of its products on its e-commerce site. The penalty: a $4.2 Million fine, 10 years of record keeping...more
Welcome to Wiley’s update on recent developments and what’s next in consumer protection at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In this newsletter, we analyze recent regulatory...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has fined online fashion retailer Fashion Nova $4.2 million to settle allegations that the company blocked negative reviews of its products from being posted on its website. The FTC said...more
On January 25, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission released a proposed settlement in an advertising enforcement action and related business education materials that should be required reading for any company that operates a...more
In April 2020, when we were all focused on finding masks and hand sanitizer, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a $9.3 million settlement with Fashion Nova. The agency alleged that the company violated the Mail...more
As discussed in our earlier post, on October 13, 2021, the FTC issued “Notice of Penalty Offenses” letters to more than 700 companies, placing them on notice of civil penalties up to $43,792 per violation if they use...more
A recent complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission serves as a perfect illustration of why one should not fire off a response to something on social media when angry. The diablo (Spanish for devil) in this article's...more
The FTC alleged that UrthBox did not disclose that some consumers received compensation, including free snack boxes, to post positive reviews. In addition, UrthBox offered “free” trial boxes during this time that resulted...more
Who doesn't love an online review? My family rarely buys anything of consequence without checking the reviews first. Online reviews allow us to get the skinny on anything and everything. In fact, my husband even reads reviews...more