Earlier today, the Federal Trade Commission issued a press
release indicating that after a review of many national television
and print advertisements, warning letters have been sent to a
number of companies – including some of the largest
advertisers in the United States – noting that they had
failed to make adequate disclosures in at least some of their
advertising. The initiative, entitled Operation Full Disclosure, is
intended to enforce regulations that prohibit advertising that
misleads consumers.
The FTC's targets in this operation are disclosures in fine
print, those that were hard to read – even though they
contained important information for the consumer. The letters
warned advertisers they need to make sure disclosures are clear and
conspicuous, and reminded advertisers the disclosures should be
close to the claims that are being made. They must not be obscure
or disguised with font sizes or colors that make it difficult to
read, and on television, they
