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FTC — Endorsement & Testimonial Substantiation (§255 Guides)

16 CFR §255
warn Effective date pending

The FTC Endorsement & Testimonial Guides (16 CFR §255) require that advertising claims based on customer testimonials be substantiated. Quantified results ("lost 20 lbs"), time-bound results ("in 30 days"), and before/after framing all need a typical-results disclosure unless the advertiser can show the result is what consumers generally achieve. What it means for you: when copy uses a testimonial-style result, pair it with a "results may vary" / "individual results may differ" disclosure adjacent to the claim. This is a reference summary, not legal advice — confirm with counsel.

Jurisdiction
United States (Federal) (federal)
Citation
16 CFR §255
Severity
warn
Corpus version
v1-929074c7ba3b

Applies to (categories)

Supplements

Applies to (channels)

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Confirm with counsel Reference summary only — not legal advice. Confirm applicability and any required disclosure language with counsel.