Where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard.

BBB National Programs is where companies, industry experts, and trade associations work together within a self-regulatory environment to foster industry best practices in truth-in-advertising, child-directed marketing, data privacy, and dispute resolution.

Advertising

Promoting responsible advertising through self-regulation, monitoring, and dispute resolution. Explore programs

Privacy

Helping businesses navigate privacy issues through self-regulation, monitoring, and safe harbors. Explore programs

Dispute Resolution

Providing solutions and support for dispute resolution programs and compliance needs. Explore programs

Emerging

Developing innovative programs to address business needs in an evolving marketplace. Explore programs

Home to leading independent programs.

We offer a variety of independent, third-party programs to guide, aid, and address issues of business ethics, advertising, data privacy, and dispute resolution.
BBB National Programs

Newsroom


Insights from the CEO

How Will Customers Know They Can Trust Your Business?

Read in Forbes

 

Read more CEO Insights

 

 

 

 

BBB National Programs in the News

 

After Chevron: What To Expect In Consumer Protection At FTC

Law360 (Paywall)
Mary Engle, executive vice president of policy at BBB National Programs outlines the impact of
the U.S. Supreme Court overturning a decades-old precedent, known as Chevron deference, on rulemaking and litigation across practice areas.  


In Online Advertising Arena, Artificial Intelligence Aids And Abets Fake Reviews, False Claims

HBW Insight 
AI has a place in the FTC's proposed rule to ban fake consumer reviews and testimonials in online advertising in the US for a reason, one that Mary Engle, executive vice president of policy at BBB National Programs acknowledges.


It's Not Easy Being Green: Preparing for the FTC's Updated Green Guides

AdWeek 
Laura Brett, vice president of the National Advertising Division outlines the importance of clear and truthful green advertising, how companies can help build consumer trust in green claims, and the 2024 release of the updated Green Guides.


Regulators Have Their Eye On The Dark Art Of Dark Patterns

AdExchanger 
Mary Engle, executive vice president of policy at BBB National Programs discusses the trend of state privacy laws calling out dark patterns as an unlawful data privacy practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

50 Years of Advancing Responsible Child-Directed Marketing & Privacy

 

For the last 50 years, companies marketing to children have held each other to a higher standard. In 1974, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) was established as the U.S. mechanism of independent self-regulation for protecting children under age 13 from deceptive or inappropriate advertising.

 

 

 

Latest Announcements

Press Release

John Templeton Foundation Grant Awarded to Center for Industry Self-Regulation to Develop Industry Self-Regulation Curriculum for Law, Business & Public Policy Schools

McLean, VA – September 10, 2024 - BBB National Programs’ Center for Industry Self-Regulation today announced that it will develop a curriculum on industry self-regulation for law, business, and public policy school programs, filling a significant gap in current higher...

Read the CISR Release
Press Release

BBB National Programs Appoints Amy Steacy as General Counsel, Promotes New Leaders in Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising and Global Privacy

McLean, VA – June 4, 2024 – BBB National Programs announced the appointment of Amy Steacy as General Counsel. Additional leadership promotions include Daniel Range as Vice President of the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) and Dr. Divya Sridhar as Vice President, Global...

Read the Press Release
Press Release

Companies Agree to Expand School Coverage under the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative Core Principles

McLean, VA – May 2, 2024 – Twenty-one of the nation’s leading food, beverage, and quick serve restaurant companies have agreed to strengthen their voluntary commitments for responsible food advertising to children under the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) Core Principles.

Read the Press Release
Press Release

BBB National Programs Issues Compliance Warning for Use of AI in Child-Directed Advertising and Data Collection

McLean, VA – May 1, 2024 – BBB National Programs’ Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) today issued a new compliance warning on the application of CARU’s Advertising and Privacy Guidelines to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), putting advertisers, brands, endorsers, developers, toy manufacturers, and others on...

Read the Press Release

Latest Decisions

Decision

National Advertising Division Recommends Verizon Discontinue or Modify Certain Claims for Satellite-Supported Texting Services

New York, NY – November 7, 2024 – In a Fast-Track SWIFT challenge brought by T-Mobile, the National Advertising Division recommended that Verizon either discontinue certain claims about satellite-supported texting services in remote locations or modify them to disclose the necessary conditions for Verizon customers...

Read the Decision Summary
Decision

Following National Advertising Division Challenge, PetIQ Voluntarily Discontinues Certain Claims for NextStar Flea & Tick Topical

New York, NY – November 6, 2024 – Following a National Advertising Division challenge, PetIQ discontinued certain claims for its NextStar Flea & Tick topical flea prevention and treatment product, which appeared on PetIQ’s website, social media, and third-party websites.

Read the Decision Summary
Decision

National Advertising Division Finds Certain Safety Claims for Drunk Elephant Skincare Products Supported; Recommends Modification of Influencer Posts

New York, NY – November 4, 2024 – The National Advertising Division determined certain Drunk Elephant social media claims regarding skincare products being “safe for kids and tweens to use” were supported, but determined that two TikTok video influencer disclosures for Drunk Elephant's B-Goldi...

Read the Decision Summary
Decision

Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Recommends Lovvare Discontinue Earnings and Product Performance Claims

McLean, VA – October 28, 2024 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) recommended Lovvare, a direct selling company that sells nutritional and wellness products, discontinue product performance and earnings claims made by salesforce members on Facebook and the Lovvare website.

Read the Decision Summary

 

For the full text of National Advertising Division, National Advertising Review Board, and Children’s Advertising Review Unit decisions, subscribe to the Online Archive. Other case decisions are available publicly: Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council and Digital Advertising Accountability Program. For members of the press, the full text of any BBB National Programs decision is available by emailing the request to press@bbbnp.org

Upcoming Events

Let's Talk About... The High Stakes of Sweepstakes for Kids!

Sweepstakes and giveaways are a hot trend for brands and influencers, particularly during the holiday season. This event will focus on sweepstakes and giveaways directly targeting children, helping ad ...
Learn more
Nov 14, 2024 Virtual

NAD 2025

The National Advertising Division (NAD) annual conference, NAD 2025 will convene advertising and legal professionals, academic and industry experts, government officials, and businesses of all sizes t ...
Learn more
Sep 16, 2025 Washington, DC

 

 

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