Federal Trade Commission
In 1980, the U.S. Congress passed a law to protect adults who prey on children.
You read that correctly. Public Law 96-252 prohibits the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from enacting rules that would protect the nation’s children from advertising that exploits their vulnerable and trusting natures. This law is obscene. It should be the role of Congress to protect children, not those who would prey upon them. Congress ought to repeal it.
Back then, the FTC was trying to respond to an increase in aggressive marketing aimed at children. Now, two decades later, that increase has become a deluge. Kids are literally assaulted from morning to night. The ad industry targets them in their home, in the school, and virtually all points in between.
We urge Congress to restore the FTC’s authority to enact solutions to this problem before it gets worse.
More Information
News Releases
Commercial Alert Responds to FTC Study on Junk Food Marketing to Kids
Robert Weissman | July 29th, 2008
Commercial Alert Praises Harkin Bill on Marketing to Children, Obesity
Gary Ruskin | May 18th, 2005
Coalition Wants Congress to Authorize FTC to Protect Children from Harmful Advertising
Gary Ruskin | October 12th, 1999
Nader Urges Congress to Restore the FTC's Authority to Protect Children from the Advertising Industry and Its “Commercial Molestations”
Gary Ruskin | September 21st, 1999
Related Articles and Links
Related Articles
The Health of Children and Consumers is Threatened by Conservative Push for Corporate Speech Rights
Steven Rosenfeld | December 13th, 2011
Facebook Reaches Privacy Settlement With FTC
Brent Kendall | Wall Street Journal, Law Blog | November 30th, 2011
"Horror Hotel": The New Frontier of Junk Food Marketing to Kids
Anne Landman | The Center for Media and Democracy, PR Watch | October 24th, 2011
Gov't pulls back on junk food marketing proposal
Mary Clare Jalonick | Associated Press | October 12th, 2011
“Self-Regulation is Working” head of BBB Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative to tell
Better Business Bureau | October 12th, 2011
Viacom spent $600,000 lobbying government in 2Q
Bloomberg Business Week | September 20th, 2011
Privacy Advocates Ask FTC To Condemn New Tracking Methods
Online Media Daily | August 24th, 2011
Will Food Industry's New Marketing Guidelines Satisfy the Feds?
Ad Week | July 15th, 2011
How Food Marketers Are Responding to Government Pressure on Kids' Ads
Advertising Age | July 15th, 2011
Industries lobby against voluntary nutrition guidelines for food marketed to kids
The Washington Post | July 11th, 2011
GOP decries "nanny state" push on junk food ads
CBS News | July 8th, 2011
Advertisers Hope House Bill Will Squash New Food Guidelines
Ad Week | July 7th, 2011
Food ad guidelines cause backlash
Politico | July 6th, 2011
Fight erupts over food marketing restrictions for children
The Hill | July 4th, 2011
FTC To Update Online Advertising Guides
Online Media Daily | May 27th, 2011
Why Food Makers Hate, Hate, HATE Even Voluntary Junk-Food Marketing Rules
BNET | May 26th, 2011
FTC's Vladeck: More Privacy Actions On The Way
Online Media Daily | May 17th, 2011
Disney's Playdom Settles FTC Charges It Mishandled Childrens’ Private Info
PaidContent.org | May 13th, 2011
Mark Bittman: Junk Food ‘Guidelines’ Won’t Help
The New York Times | May 4th, 2011
FTC Investigating Online Food Marketing to Kids
Care2Care | April 22nd, 2011
FTC to issue new green guidelines, address 'tsunami' of marketing claims
USA Today | April 21st, 2011
FTC: Lawsuits Filed Against Sites Selling Acai Berry Weight-Loss Pills
Multichannel News | April 18th, 2011
CBS Accused of ‘Greenwashing’
The New York Times | April 15th, 2011
Hollywood Continues Its Fast-Food Binge
T.L. Stanley | BrandWeek | June 6th, 2009
Consumer Watch: FTC Builds Case on Telemarketers
Jeff Gelles | The Philadelphia Inquirer | May 17th, 2009
Targeted Ads on FTC Radar
David Bender | New York Law Journal | April 9th, 2009
Advertisers Brace for Online Viral Marketing Curbs
David Gelles | Financial Times | April 2nd, 2009
FTC to Marketers: Self-Regulate Behavioral Targeting
Ira Teinowitz | Advertising Age | February 12th, 2009
FTC Proposes Significant Changes To Its Endorsement And Testimonials Guides
Matthew Savare and David Leit | The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel | February 1st, 2009
FTC Limits Prerecorded Calls
Brent Kendall | The Wall Street Journal | August 20th, 2008
FTC Commissioner Tackles Ads for Kids
Ross Kenneth Urken | The Wall Street Journal | August 20th, 2008
Junk Food Marketed to Kids is a $1.6 Billion a Year Business, Study Finds
My Fox Twin Cities | July 29th, 2008
FTC: Kids Target of $1.6 Billion in Food Ads
Kevin Freking | The Associated Press | July 29th, 2008
Coalition Urges FCC to Adopt Product Placement Rules
Steve Miller | BrandWeek | June 19th, 2008
Ad Groups Challenge FTC Guidelines
Mike Beirne | AdWeek | April 18th, 2008
FCC Set to Place Placement on Agenda?
Radio & Television Business Report | February 5th, 2008
FTC Says Internet Ad Self-Regulation Falling Short
Reuters | November 2nd, 2007
FTC reviewing Google ad deal "expeditiously"
Diane Bartz | Reuters | November 1st, 2007
FTC Scolds Marketers About Violent Content
Wendy Melillo | Adweek | April 13th, 2007