Penalty Amount
$1,500,000
The FTC finalized a settlement with Publishing.com LLC and its principals for misleading consumers about potential earnings from self-publishing products. The company will pay $1.5 million and is prohibited from making unsubstantiated earnings claims, failing to disclose refund terms, and misrepresenting endorsements and reviews.
Publishing.com and its principals must pay $1.5 million, cease making unsubstantiated earnings claims, disclose refund terms and conditions, and disclose material connections with endorsers and any incentives for reviews.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements related to marketing and advertising services, particularly clauses concerning earnings claims and testimonials. Ensure contracts require vendors to substantiate any earnings or performance claims with a reasonable basis before dissemination. Review terms of service and refund policies to ensure they are clear, conspicuous, and not buried in fine print. Additionally, update influencer and endorsement agreements to mandate disclosure of any material connections, payments, or incentives provided for reviews or testimonials.
Entity
Publishing.com LLC
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/07/ftc-approves-final-order-against-publishingcom-settling-allegations-it-misled-consumers
2423055c4836publishingcomfinalorder
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/2423055c4836publishingcomfinalorder.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Publishing.com LLC"
"$1.5 million"
"FTC Act Section 5"
"misled consumers about how much money consumers were likely to earn using their self-publishing products"
"prohibits Publishing.com and the Mikkelsens from making earnings claims unless they are not misleading and they have a reasonable basis to support them"
"July 2, 2026"
$1.5M
The FTC alleged that Publishing.com LLC and its principals misled consumers with unsubstantiated earnings claims about their self-publishing programs, failed to disclose material connections with testimonial writers, and imposed hidden conditions on refund requests. The company agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty and is subject to a proposed consent order prohibiting deceptive earnings claims, misrepresentations about refunds, and undisclosed endorsements. The consent agreement is subject to a 30-day public comment period before becoming final.
$750K
The FTC finalized an order against Vanilla Chip LLC (doing business as TruHeight) and its principals for deceptively advertising height-enhancing supplements for children and teens without scientific evidence. The company also used fake reviews and incentivized 5-star ratings. The order requires a $750,000 payment and prohibits false health claims and deceptive review practices.
$2.3M
The FTC alleged that RentGrow, a tenant screening company, violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by failing to use reasonable procedures to ensure the accuracy of its reports, including by reporting duplicate records and failing to disclose data sources. RentGrow agreed to pay a $2.25 million penalty and is prohibited from further FCRA violations and from misrepresenting dispute outcomes.
The FTC and New York Attorney General took action against Handy Technologies for deceptive earnings claims and failure to disclose fees and fines that led to millions of dollars being withheld from workers' wages. The FTC is sending over $2.7 million in refunds to 62,893 affected consumers.
$35.0M
The FTC alleged that Hopper, a travel booking app, charged consumers hidden and pre-selected fees (Tip and VIP Support) without their consent, misrepresented the benefits of VIP Support and Price Freeze services, and failed to clearly disclose total prices. Hopper agreed to pay $35 million for consumer redress and is prohibited from misrepresenting fees under a proposed order.
The FTC is seeking public comment on a proposed policy statement addressing concerns that AI companies may be manipulating AI system outputs contrary to consumer expectations for objectivity and accuracy. The statement explains that such conduct could be considered deceptive under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The public comment period runs until July 31, 2026.