We are Ba-Ak. Last year, we selected the top ten “Nightmare on the Street” consumer protection horror movies. Just in time for Halloween, the FTC multiplex reopens with ten screens of horrifying deceptions.
Porter price. Ask consumers what scares them and they’ll probably answer zombie invasions and garbage bills—not necessarily in that order. People are tired of the hidden and fake fees that plague many different types of transactions. That’s why the Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule to crack down on the mysterious fees lurking in the shadows.
Spam Village. Consumers have the right to protect their email inboxes from phantom intruders, including unwanted commercial messages. CAN-SPAM rules require companies to clearly tell people they can opt out of receiving these messages in the future and include a valid unsubscribe link. Earlier this year, the FTC announced a $650,000 settlement with a national company over alleged CAN-SPAM violations. We have also published updated guidance on how to comply.
True Blood. Even vampires visit health care providers from time to time. Someone, somewhere has to sell a health-related app to the bloodthirsty denizens of the night. We want them to be aware of the latest guidance from the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on health privacy. Collect, use or share consumer health information? Please refer to HIPAA, the FTC Act, and the Health Breach Notification Rules, which include links to information to help their practices comply with the law.
Texas Chainsaw Mail Order. A crazed cannibal armed with destructive tools can be terrifying, but so are the individuals and companies peddling counterfeit or unsafe goods on online platforms. Starting in June 2023, the INFORM Consumer Act requires online marketplaces to collect, verify and disclose certain information about “high-volume third-party sellers”, whether selling chainsaws, hacksaws, seesaws or other consumer products. Informing businesses about the INFORM Consumer Act and what third-party sellers need to know about the INFORM Consumer Act provides to-the-point insights into legal requirements.
Frankenstein. Could that suspicious spot on your cloak be vampire blood—or ketchup? The good news for consumers is that the Federal Trade Commission’s care labeling rules require apparel manufacturers and importers to provide care statements for their products. Please read the garment caption: Follow Care Label Rules for guidance.
sign. The haunted Hotel Colorado, the “redrum” in the mirror, the mysterious Room 237 – and an inescapable maze. These are elements of what some critics have called the scariest movie ever made. But even scarier than Celluloid is the experience of consumers trapped by digital dark mode. One harmful practice has been the subject of recent FTC enforcement actions: making it easy for consumers to sign up for a product or service and have their credit card billed like clockwork, but difficult to cancel.
Double Features: Mountains Have Eyes and warder. It’s a popular horror movie trope: the audience knows—but the heroes don’t—that someone is secretly watching their every move. Even scarier are the real-world threats that come from apps and online services that promise to keep consumers’ personal information private and then share it with social media companies, online advertising platforms and other shadowy third parties. This is a top consumer protection priority for the FTC—a fact that should scare companies that engage in this illegal practice.
Hellr-AI-ser. “A devil to some, an angel to others.” This was the tagline for the 1987 supernatural thriller Fierce ghosts chasing ghosts. This also aptly describes how the potential uses and abuses of artificial intelligence may impact consumers. The FTC’s ongoing Artificial Intelligence and Your Business blog series discusses some of the issues marketers should consider.
The silence of deceit. Scammers fervently hope that consumers won’t report their creepy behavior. To help the FTC and our enforcement partners across the country identify deceptive or unfair practices, consumers and businesses should tell us about suspicious behavior in our marketplace at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
