The Bottom Line Operating a subscription-based company in 2024 continues to be a constantly moving target of compliance. California, which already had one of the country’s strictest automatic renewal laws, recently saw its Legislature propose amendments that closely track the FTC's proposed Continue Reading
Navigating the Subscription Maze: Staying on Top of Auto-Renewal Legislation in 2024
If you’re operating a subscription-based company in 2024, strap in for a wild ride through the maze of auto-renewal laws! Continue Reading
FTC Settles with Subscription-Based Business for Alleged Discriminatory & Deceptive Practices
The Bottom Line Online cash advance provider FloatMe Corp. will pay $3 million as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for allegations of unfair and deceptive tactics against customers. The settlement, announced January 22 by the FTC, came after the Continue Reading
FTC To Focus on Subscription Services — Hints at Taking Action Against “Dark Patterns”
The Bottom Line The FTC has issued a new Enforcement Policy Statement Regarding Negative Option Marketing (Policy Statement), generally warning companies about their compliance obligations relating to negative option programs and against using website design features to deceive consumers into Continue Reading
Subscription-Based Marketers Should Prepare for NY’s New Automatic Renewal Law
The Bottom Line As more and more marketers take to the Internet to provide goods and services in this post-pandemic era, subscription-based offerings are on the rise. With the click of a mouse, consumers can get everything from vitamins, to wine, to work out gear on an auto-recurring basis. Continue Reading
FTC Action Regarding Violations of the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act and Deceptive Commercial Practices Results in $10 Million Dollar Settlement
The Bottom Line Age of Learning, Inc. (Age of Learning), which operates as ABCmouse, a subscription service for young children’s educational content, agreed to pay $10 million dollars to settle claims by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its negative option and billing practices, Continue Reading
E-Tailers Beware: Regulators Are Drilling Down on Negative Option Marketing
7th Edition: Trends in Marketing Communications Law If you look at your credit card statements, chances are that you have one or more recurring monthly or annual charges, whether for media subscriptions, meal delivery services, workout apps, cosmetics shipments or clothing rentals. Subscription Continue Reading
Key Considerations for Retailers in the Face of COVID-19
The Bottom Line Retailers are facing unprecedented challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some companies, such as wholesalers of essential household items and groceries, are experiencing a surge in demand, others, especially those that rely on a Continue Reading
The FTC is Drilling Down on Negative Option Marketing Practices
The Bottom Line While the FTC’s action against Match plays out in court, it is worth noting that the FTC last initiated a regulatory review of the Negative Option Rule over a decade ago in 2009. When the FTC completed that review in 2014, it concluded that amendments were not warranted because the Continue Reading
Battling the Real “Fake News”: FTC Reaches Multi-Million Dollar Settlement with Internet Marketers for False Celebrity Endorsements
The Bottom Line The FTC's settlement with the Defendants allegedly engaged in these deceptive marketing practices serves as a reminder that the parties responsible for online advertising using public figures’ names and images without authorization can be identified and stopped, and that those Continue Reading