Advertising Regulation: The Contemporary FTC Approach

This article deals with the Federal Trade Commission's traditional activities of adjudication and rule-making by discussing expansion of theories of violation, standards of proof and remedies in advertising cases brought under section 5 of the FTC Act. Specifically, the article discusses pending cases and the FTC's involvement in deceptive advertising, the "Unfairness Doctrine," and the problems associated with advertising targeted at children. The article then evaluates the FTC's alternative approaches to adjudication and rule-making through its substantiation program and stance on counter-advertising.