Deceptive Patterns
‹ All enforcement USA

Federal Trade Commission v. Effen Ads, LLC

Jurisdiction
USA
Authority
United States District Court for the District of Utah
Date
30 Jun 2020
Case number
2:19-cv-00945
Outcome
$1.5 million in fines

Case summary

Effen Ads tricked users by sending spam emails that falsely claimed endorsements from news organizations and celebrities to promote fraudulent schemes.

Our analysis

Outcome

Effen Ads has been ordered to pay more than $1.4 million and is prohibited from misrepresenting or assisting others in misrepresenting material facts, including claims involving celebrity endorsements, truthful endorsements, independent user endorsements, impartial reviews, typical consumer experiences, objective news reports, and independent product testing.

Parties

Federal Trade Commission and Effen Ads, LLC

View the decision

Related deceptive patterns

Fake social proof ›The user is misled into believing a product is more popular or credible than it really is, because they were shown fake reviews, testimonials, or activity messages.

Related rules

CAN-SPAM Act - Section 5(a)(1) & 15 U.S.C. § 7704(a)(1) ›Prohibits the transmission of electronic messages with materially false or misleading header information, aiming to prevent deceptive practices in commercial email communications.