Michael Ingram

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Color Us Majorly Surprised – Company Gets the FTC to Change Its Press Release

By Daniel Kaufman and Michael Ingram on September 21, 2022 Posted in FTC

A few weeks ago, we wrote about an interesting development in what had been a fairly standard Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Made in the USA (MUSA) settlement. In short, the company had some major beef with the FTC’s press release about its case. The company and its owner filed a motion to get out of … Continue Reading

There Is Bad Press: FTC Defendant Sues the Agency Over an Over-the-Top Release

By Daniel Kaufman and Michael Ingram on August 30, 2022 Posted in FTC

P.T. Barnum famously said, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Oscar Wilde, however, gave that quote his own spin and said, “There’s only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Well, some folks most definitely disagree when a whole settlement potentially is tanked over … Continue Reading

The Matrix of Guardrails for the Metaverse Grows (Plus Weekend Movie Viewing Recommendations)

By Amy Ralph Mudge and Michael Ingram on August 26, 2022 Posted in Advertising, Digital Media

We are not quite at the Matrix moment of a red pill/blue pill choice yet, but we are moving closer every day to the possibility of a fully immersive virtual world. And the regulators and watchdogs are already thinking about how we can protect the kids when they venture not outside in the real world … Continue Reading

No Time to Weight and Watch for Children’s Data Compliance

By Daniel Kaufman and Michael Ingram on March 10, 2022 Posted in FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently settled with Weight Watchers (WW) and its subsidiary Kurbo for alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA requires websites, apps and other online services to obtain express parental consent prior to collecting, using or disclosing personal information of children under 13. It is a complex … Continue Reading

Leveling Up: Advertising to Children Through Video Games

By Carolina Alonso, Michael Ingram and Amy Ralph Mudge on March 7, 2022 Posted in Advertising

Video games have come a long way from the days of Atari’s Pong; today’s games can contain fully immersive worlds complete with brand partnerships. Video game platforms, such as Roblox, which boasts over 100 million active users in its virtual world, can reach swaths of potential brand loyalists. For many companies and brands, video game … Continue Reading

CARU’s Revised Guidelines Are Not Kid-ding Around

By Amy Ralph Mudge, Michael Ingram and Carolina Alonso on October 15, 2021 Posted in Advertising, COPPA, FTC, Gaming

By: Amy Mudge, Mike Ingram and Carolina Alonso The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) recently held their “Kidvertising” workshop to discuss the revised CARU Advertising Guidelines, which are set to take effect on January 1, 2022. The workshop tackled several issues important to child advertising including diversity and inclusion, influencers, and in-app and in-game advertising. … Continue Reading

Life in Plastic – It’s Fantastic

By Michael Ingram and Amy Ralph Mudge on August 12, 2021 Posted in Advertising

As the world contends with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, activists are sounding the alarm over another pandemic: the plastic pandemic. Environmentalist groups have been warning Americans about our overconsumption of plastic for years, but now states are taking notice and acting. California and Washington state recently enacted legislation establishing a tiered system designed to increase … Continue Reading

COPPA Compliance Back in Congressional Crosshairs

By Carolina Alonso and Michael Ingram on May 7, 2021 Posted in COPPA

With more children getting online, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is not the only stakeholder concerned about reevaluating regulations related to children’s online privacy. Certain members of Congress are also seeking to review the current landscape of compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Note that the FTC received public comments regarding possible … Continue Reading

PA Supreme Court Finds Intent Is Not Nine-Tenths of the Law

By Randal M. Shaheen and Michael Ingram on March 1, 2021 Posted in FTC

We regularly tell clients that intent is meaningless when it comes to deception under Section 5 of the FTC Act. And that’s true (or we wouldn’t say it). But fewer people realize that it’s not necessarily true when it comes to a minority of the states. As of a couple weeks ago, however, that number … Continue Reading