Internet Marketing Law Blog

FTC Places Online Marketplaces on Notice of Obligations Under INFORM Consumer Act

The Federal Trade Commission has recently sent letters to 50 online marketplaces nationwide notifying them about their obligation to comply with the new Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act – or the INFORM Consumers Act – as soon as it takes effect on June 27, 2023. “The INFORM Consumers Act…

FTC Files Complaint Against Amazon for Allegedly Enrolling Consumers in Prime Without Consent and Making it Difficult to Cancel

On June 21, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission announced an action against Amazon.com, Inc. for allegedly enrolling consumers in its Prime program without consent and knowingly making it difficult for consumers to cancel their subscriptions. The redacted complaint charges that Amazon knowingly tricked millions of consumers into enrolling in Amazon Prime using manipulative, coercive or…

FTC Requires Microsoft to Pay $20 million over Charges it Illegally Collected Personal Information from Children without Parental Consent

On June 5, 2023, the FTC announced that Microsoft will pay $20 million to settle agency charges that it violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) by collecting personal information from children that signed up to its Xbox gaming system without notifying their parents or obtaining their parents’ consent, and by illegally retaining children’s…

FTC Explores Environmental Claims and Civil Penalty Rulemakings

On May 23, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission hosted a national workshop designed to consider the current state of recycling practices and recycling-related advertising. This follows an FTC announcement in December 2022 that the agency was seeking public comment on potential updates and changes to its ‘Green Guides’ for the use of environment marketing claims. …

FTC Obtains $16.7M Judgment Against Principals and Celebrity Endorsers of Real Estate Investment Training Program

On May 22, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission announced that as a result of a lawsuit filed along with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, the principals of a Utah-based real estate investment training company will pay $15 million and be banned from selling money-making opportunities under a court order they have agreed to. In…

FTC Compliance and Defense Lawyer Discusses Existential Threat to Lead Generation Industry

As previously blogged about here, the FCC recently proposed a rule that would turn the lead generation on its head.  The proposed new rule goes quite a bit further than simply requiring wireless carriers to block texts from illegitimate numbers.  See more, here. In addition to carrier investigation and blocking obligations, as well as an extension of DNC…