FTC Blogs

By: Lesley Fair | Jul 22, 2020 11:49AM

Maybe it’s the influence of that best-selling book on home organization or perhaps the silos of stuff in our makeshift home offices are becoming more noticeable. Either way, people are in a decluttering mood – and we are, too. Our recent project: updating and streamlining Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions, known as the COPPA FAQs. But not to worry. The revisions don’t raise new policy issues and our COPPA Rule review continues.

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Consumer Blog

All I want for Christmas…is what I ordered

By: Carol Kando-Pineda | Dec 18, 2020 7:23AM

You’ve probably spent a good part of 2020 doing some online shopping. Now that the holidays are here, you definitely want to be sure you — or your friends and family — actually get what you ordered. On this 11th day of Consumer Protection, take these steps to help Rudolph find his way to your house.

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Business Blog

Seeking your feedback about the Amplifier Rule

By: Lesley Fair | Dec 17, 2020 2:29PM

At the Monterey Pop Festival, the legendary Jimi Hendrix reportedly one-upped The Who by setting fire to his guitar and his amplifier. The legendary – but fictional – Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap boasted of having an amp that “goes to 11.” Of course, those aren’t the kind of amps covered by the FTC’s Amplifier Rule.

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Business Blog

One thing marketers of CBD products need to know right now

By: Lesley Fair | Dec 17, 2020 9:28AM

“It’s the Wild West out there!” How often have you heard that statement made about health claims for products containing CBD? But here’s the thing: It’s not the Wild West. In fact, health-related representations for CBD products are subject to the same established requirements of scientific substantiation the FTC has applied for decades to any advertised health claim.

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Consumer Blog

Don’t be CBDeceived by junk science

By: Lisa Lake | Dec 17, 2020 9:00AM

If you’ve explored alternative treatments for medical conditions, you’ve probably noticed that CBD products are pretty popular. But if an ad claims a CBD-based product is scientifically proven to cure or treat your symptoms, take that with a dose of caution to prevent losing money and, possibly, putting your health at risk.

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Consumer Blog

Santa doesn’t need your Social Security number

By: Jim Kreidler | Dec 17, 2020 7:20AM

This year, during the pandemic, your holidays might be moving a bit online. On the 10th day of Consumer Protection, maybe you’re planning to send e-cards to family and friends.

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Business Blog

FTC says flight service winged it by leaving data unprotected in the cloud

By: Lesley Fair | Dec 16, 2020 12:38PM

To meet the needs of consumers who are injured or face a medical emergency while traveling, Scottsdale-based SkyMed International sells air evacuation plans and other services. The FTC’s action against SkyMed also involves consumer injury, but not of the fractured-femur-in-France variety. According to the FTC, SkyMed put consumers’ sensitive information at risk of compromise by failing to employ a robust data security program.

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Business Blog

Will your research take centerstage at PrivacyCon 2021?

By: Lesley Fair | Dec 16, 2020 10:08AM

It’s an annual celebration of the innovative, the audacious, and the avant garde. The Met Gala? Not quite. It’s the FTC’s sixth PrivacyCon, scheduled to convene virtually on July 27, 2021.

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Consumer Blog

Baby, I stole outside

By: Jim Kreidler | Dec 16, 2020 9:00AM

You’ve finished your online shopping, your gifts have shipped and you’re waiting for them to arrive – but some Grinch decides to ruin your holiday. On this 9th day of Consumer Protection, we’re talking about how to stop porch pirates in their tracks.

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Business Blog

Better safeguard than sorry

By: Lesley Fair | Dec 15, 2020 12:00PM

To quote studio head Samuel Goldwyn’s famous malaprop, an oral contract isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. The same can be said of a written security policy if a company doesn’t carry out its provisions.

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Consumer Blog

Frosty the Con Man: avoiding family emergency scams

By: Carol Kando-Pineda | Dec 15, 2020 8:27AM

“Hello? It’s me — Frosty. Look it’s a long story but without my top hat, I’m melting. Please, I need your help — send money now or I’ll be nothing but a puddle!”

Continue Reading Frosty the Con Man: avoiding family emergency scams