700 Marketing Companies Could Face Civil Penalties – FTC Going After Product Claims!

On April 13, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission put hundreds of advertisers on notice to back up product claims with scientific substantiation or take them down. In written notices sent to the companies, the FTC warned that it will not hesitate to use its authority to target violators with large civil penalties. It has long been established by the FTC that companies must back up claims about what their products can do with reliable evidence. If a company makes a claim about the health or safety benefits of a product, that claim must be based on scientific evidence. If a company claims that its product can cure, mitigate, or treat a serious disease, such as cancer or heart disease, it must back up that claim through a high standard of scientific testing.