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Celebrating National Cereal Day with Healthier Options
Mar 7, 2022, 10:55 AM by Lauren Eskenazi, Program Manager, Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, BBB National ProgramsBreakfast cereal demand has been on the rise as the COVID pandemic has advanced. People ate at home and did not want to venture out to the grocery store as often, which meant that they turned to easily stored staples, like cereals. Whether or not this trend continues, there will always be people of all ages who will choose to start their day with a bowl of cereal. So, pour yourself a bowl, grab a spoon, and join the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) to observe National Cereal Day.Full story -
Three Tips To Avoid Making Health-Related Claims That You Cannot Support With Evidence
Mar 1, 2022, 09:00 AM by Eric D. Reicin, President & CEO, BBB National ProgramsWhat can businesses do to stay out of trouble when making health and wellness claims? It is all about understanding what claims you are making and how to support those claims. To mitigate the risk of an unsupported health-related claim, businesses and nonprofits should avoid making any claims that they cannot support with the appropriate level of scientific evidence.Full story -
What to Know About California’s Lemon Law
Feb 15, 2022, 09:00 AM by Juan Herrera, Vice President, Dispute Resolution Programs, BBB National ProgramsWhile only about one percent of all new cars purchased in the United States in any given year experience a problem that cannot be fixed, there are occasions when a vehicle might be defective enough to be called a “lemon.” What should you do if, unfortunately, you get stuck with one of the lemons?Full story -
Lessons for Platforms from a Congressional Hearing on COVID-19 Fraud
Feb 9, 2022, 09:00 AM by Laura Brett, Vice President, National Advertising Division, BBB National ProgramsAs Google and other platforms face mounting pressure to build trust in the face of daily news reports about advertising scams and misinformation, a solid step they can take is to support the advertising industry’s established and trusted system of self-regulation. Most platforms have advertising policies that prohibit misleading advertising, so it would make sense that the platforms would support independent self-regulatory review of advertising claims with direct reporting channels for advertising found to be misleading.Full story -
NAD Fast-Track SWIFT: Behind the Scenes of 2021’s Cases
Jan 26, 2022, 09:00 AM by Eric Unis, Attorney, National Advertising Division, BBB National ProgramsAlmost 20% of all NAD challenges in 2021 were brought through NAD’s Fast-Track SWIFT process. This blog provides an overview of those cases, an overview of Fast-Track SWIFT, and some takeaways from what we saw in 2021.Full story -
Enhancing Brand Safety: Understanding Self-Regulation vs. Independent Industry Self-Regulation
Jan 11, 2022, 09:00 AM by Eric D. Reicin, President & CEO, BBB National ProgramsWith copious amounts of content proliferating across a growing number of platforms and websites, it is an ongoing challenge for advertisers and platforms to ensure that digital ads are not placed next to harmful content. In this conversation, there is a key distinction few are making — the difference between ‘self-regulation’ and ‘independent, industry-wide self-regulation.’Full story -
Top 5 Takeaways from the CCPA Hearings
Jan 6, 2022, 09:00 AM by BBB EU Privacy ShieldIn December, BBB National Programs staff attended the Attorney General hearings on the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This blog captures our top 5 takeaways from that hearing.Full story -
CFBAI and CCAI Published the 2020 Annual Report on Participant Compliance and Program Progress
Dec 21, 2021, 09:19 AM by Maureen Enright, Vice President, CFBAI and CCAI, BBB National ProgramsBBB National Programs has released the CFBAI and CCAI 2020 Annual Report, which includes findings on CFBAI and CCAI participant compliance with their commitment to advertise only foods that meet CFBAI’s strict Uniform Nutrition Criteria or to not engage in advertising primarily directed to children under age 12. The Report indicates excellent compliance by the 19 CFBAI participants and the eight CCAI participants in 2020.Full story -
What Do You Need to Know about the Florida Lemon Law?
Dec 16, 2021, 09:00 AM by Juan Herrera, Vice President, Dispute Resolution Programs, BBB National ProgramsIf you have ever purchased or leased a car or SUV that you consider a lemon, you may have questions about the myriad of federal and state laws that govern your vehicle and the remedies available to you. Each state also has their own statute governing vehicles sold and leased in that state for personal use. Today, we look at the lemon law in Florida, one of the fastest-growing states in the U.S.Full story -
AI Can Be A Force For Good In Recruiting And Hiring New Employees
Dec 15, 2021, 09:00 AM by Eric D. Reicin, President & CEO, BBB National ProgramsA challenge for rapid innovation in any industry is the ability for legal and regulatory requirements to keep pace. In the recruiting and hiring process, company leaders are asking themselves: How can we combine important technological innovation with a proactive approach to employment law requirements?Full story -
CARU’s 2021 Tips for Parents: Safe and Efficient Holiday Shopping
Dec 14, 2021, 09:00 AM by Rashida Gordon, Analyst, Children’s Advertising Review Unit, BBB National ProgramsThough much of this year may have felt uncertain, one thing that is certain is the state of 2021 holiday shopping: it is once again primarily online. To help ensure your online holiday shopping experience is safe and efficient, the CARU team has put together some tips and red flags to consider when making your all-important gift selections.Full story -
A globalized CBPR framework: Peering into the future of data transfers
Nov 30, 2021, 09:59 AM by Cobun Zweifel-Keegan, Deputy Director, Privacy Initiatives, BBB National ProgramsLast month, at the IAPP’s Privacy. Security. Risk. 2021 conference, an important moment occurred that may have been easy to miss. During a panel discussion titled “The Evolution of International Privacy Policymaking in the U.S. Government," discussing data flow issues around the world, the DOC International Trade Administration's Christopher Hoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Services, dropped the clearest signals about the future of ITA’s work.Full story -
When Organizations Market To Children, They Should Do So Responsibly
Nov 10, 2021, 09:00 AM by Eric D. Reicin, President & CEO, BBB National ProgramsToday's generation of digital natives might be more comfortable navigating gaming and content platforms, but they face the same cognitive limitations — and vulnerabilities — that children always have. The gap between a child’s needs online and the safeguards in place to protect them in digital spaces has grown to the point where big players like Google and Facebook are making more of an effort to address these gaps.Full story -
What Is Arbitration and What Should You Expect from It?
Nov 9, 2021, 09:00 AM by Abby Adams, Senior Counsel, Dispute Resolution Programs, BBB AUTO LINEArbitration is a form of dispute resolution and is an alternative to litigation (going to court). In some cases, a process called mediation will precede arbitration. In fact, more than 60% of claims that come through AUTO LINE are resolved in mediation. But, if a dispute cannot be resolved in mediation, the claim will proceed to arbitration.Full story -
The Potential Cost of Misleading Income Claims
Nov 4, 2021, 15:59 PM by Peter Marinello, Vice President, Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council, BBB National ProgramsThe FTC recently put direct sellers, and other companies offering money-making opportunities, on notice: false promises about earnings potential and other aspects of a company’s business opportunity could subject the company to civil penalties. DSSRC published the Guidance on Earnings Claim for the Direct Selling Industry to reinforce fundamental tenets regarding the dissemination of earnings claims by direct selling companies and their independent salesforce members.Full story -
In-App and In-Game Ads: Tips to Staying Compliant in 2022
Nov 3, 2021, 13:25 PM by James Davis, Senior Attorney, Children’s Advertising Review Unit, BBB National ProgramsToday, children have increased access to technology as well as increased screen time. As a result, business models have adapted, with apps reliant on ads and in-app purchases for revenue, rather than up-front purchase fees. These new business models require special design considerations outlined in CARU's revised Advertising Guidelines.Full story -
Misleading Endorsements and Testimonials May Lead to Civil Penalties
Oct 28, 2021, 09:00 AM by Laura Brett, Vice President, National Advertising Division, BBB National ProgramsThe FTC recently sent a Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Deceptive or Unfair Conduct around Endorsements and Testimonials. This action demonstrated the FTC’s continued interest in challenging the deceptive or misleading use of endorsements or testimonials.Full story -
Do I need a lemon law attorney to file a claim with BBB AUTO LINE?
Oct 27, 2021, 09:00 AM by Juan Herrera, Vice President, Dispute Resolution Programs, BBB National ProgramsWhile representation by an attorney is essential in some corporate, personal, or civil matters, when it comes to lemon laws our experience at BBB AUTO LINE is that an attorney may not need to get involved at all.Full story -
The 2010s – the Digital Advertising Frontier
Oct 19, 2021, 09:00 AM by Katherine Armstrong, Deputy Director, National Advertising Division, BBB National ProgramsIn the 2010s, the confluence of social media and digital advertising generated two new issues in advertising law: the use of influencers for marketing and the propriety of native advertising. Both the FTC and NAD provided guidance on these emerging issues during NAD’s fifth decade of work in ad law.Full story -
Self-Regulation Is a Tool to Mitigate Litigation
Oct 15, 2021, 09:00 AM by Eric D. Reicin, President & CEO, BBB National Programs and Abby Adams, Senior Counsel, Dispute Resolution Programs, BBB National ProgramsIndependent industry self-regulation, when developed and implemented properly, is a powerful tool for enhancing consumer trust in business and protecting consumers. And as we emerge from the reduced trust in government wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time for independent industry self-regulation to help solve vexing business problems. In-house counsel can play an important leadership role in those efforts.Full story
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Bullish but Cautionary: A Balanced Way to Approach the Impact of AI
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KOSA (and Children’s Privacy) on the Move
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