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Advertising Regulations

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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.
Considering that many business use advertising as a way to market their business it would be helpful if “The Federal Trade Commission” paid more closely attention to companies who intentionally defraud consumers.
Business scandal has being main front of many financial business such as Telecom, Enron, Target, and Health South; however, one doesn’t think more government regulations or laws would help companies from making the wrong choices. One do believe it would help put a stop to businesses and advertising companies from making bad decision. Like many business who has been fine or penalize it would be more helpful when charges and jail time is given to those who intentionally fraud the systems.
According to Schneider P. Gary (2015), any advertising claim that can mislead a substantial number of consumers in a material way is illegal under U.S. law (pg.337). While more businesses and companies are using advertisement to promote their business, they must be fair about the information pertaining to their products and services. It is clear why business use misleading information, however, it is unfair to consumers to purchase products that is not true to its’ intended use. There are state laws and regulations that prohibits false advertisements and misleading information to consumers.
Advertising regulations are put in place for businesses and companies to abide by the laws. Therefore regulations and laws are there to protect consumers for falling victim to bias advertisements. The FTC regulates these laws, and they enforce these laws upon businesses who are intentionally misleading consumers into buying their products. However, consumers must be aware of advertisements that are not truthful, advertisements that cannot stand by their products or services, and advertisements that are unfair.

References
Azcenaga, M. L. (1997, April 8). The role of advertising and advertising regulation in the free market: The Turkish association of advertising agencies, conference on advertising for economy and democracy. Retrieved from http://www.ftc.gov/public-statement/1997/04/role-advertising-and-advertising-regulations
Kleppner, O. (1979). Advertising Procedure. (7th. ed.). Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN: 0-13-018119-6

Schneider, G. P. (2015). Electronic Commerce. (11th.ed.). Standford, CT: Cengage Learning.

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