FTC — Deceptive Acts & Efficacy Substantiation (§5)
15 USC §45
FTC §5 prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in advertising. For efficacy claims this means an advertiser must hold "competent and reliable scientific evidence" before making the claim. "Clinically proven" / "scientifically proven" language and unsubstantiated efficacy superlatives ("miracle", "guaranteed", "most effective") are deceptive unless the advertiser can cite the supporting evidence. What it means for you: either cite the study behind a proof claim or soften the language to something substantiable ("designed to support", "many customers report"). This is a reference summary, not legal advice — confirm with counsel.
- Jurisdiction
- United States (Federal) (federal)
- Citation
- 15 USC §45
- Severity
- block
- Corpus version
- v1-929074c7ba3b
Applies to (categories)
Supplements
Applies to (channels)
*
Confirm with counsel
Reference summary only — not legal advice. Confirm applicability and any required disclosure language with counsel.