Advertising Regulations

Advertising Regulations

Reishunda Trancy

Grantham University

Advertising Regulations

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates advertising laws to help protect consumers from fraudulent and misleading advertisers. These laws are put into place for businesses to be honest and be truthful about their products or services that are being advertised. However, failure to adhere to these regulations business could be fined, face costly lawsuits, and see civil penalties brought against them. It is important for businesses to advertise truthfully, to show evidence about their products or services, and to use fair advertisements.

Advertise Truthfully

Technology has become the mainstream of life. One can search the Internet for almost everything. However, information that is place for advertising use only sometimes can be used unintentionally or is misleading. Businesses who falsely advertising and use deceptive information could fall under the jurisdiction of laws and regulations.  It is imperative for businesses or companies to be truthful about their products and services. They must justify the reason “why” the advertisement is being advertised and the intended use of the advertisement. Therefore, businesses in general should be responsible for providing accurate information when it comes to advertisements.

Advertising and the use of the Internet has become a helpful resource to many advertisers companies and businesses. Otto Kleppner, (1979) stated, “The fact is that advertising is a technique, techniques have no morality of their own, but reflect the morals of the times and the standard of their users” (pg.549).” Consumers must understand how advertisement works and be mindfully of misleading information in advertisements. Business should be honest and truthful about their products and not to intentionally be deceptive about their products and services.

Advertising Products and Services

Advertisements should provide consumers with information about the price of the products and services. Advertisements should be free of misleading information. This should limit consumers to do intense amount research about their products. The Federal Trade Commission is primary protectors for consumer’s rights. It is morally wrong for business to use unfair and deceptive advertisements to reach the attention of consumers. It is imperative for businesses to be honest, be truthful, and to market their products according to The Federal Trade Commission regulations and laws. One’s own humble opinion that businesses be responsible for intentionally misleading consumers into buying their products under false pretenses.

Advertising with Fraudulent Pretense

Mary L. Azcuenaga, Former Commissioner of Istanbul, Turkey (1997) stated, “When a seller induces the purchase of products of services that, notwithstanding his or her claims to the contrary, he or she knows, or should know, are unlikely to perform as claimed or to meet the consumer’s needs are promised, the seller perverts the system and causes consumer injury.” A business owner should be aware of falsely advertising products that he or she knows are deceptive they should be fine and penalize for misleading consumers into buying their products. However, businesses are committing fraudulent acts and should be held accountable for their actions.