Penalty Amount
$930,000
The FTC finalized orders requiring CMG Media Corporation (doing business as Cox Media Group), MindSift LLC, and 1010 Digital Works LLC to pay a total of $930,000 for falsely claiming they offered an AI-powered service that could target ads based on conversations captured from consumers' smart devices, and that consumers had opted into such targeting. The orders also prohibit the companies from making misrepresentations about their advertising services, voice data collection, and consumer consent.
The companies must pay a total of $930,000 (CMG $880,000, MindSift $25,000, 1010 Digital Works $25,000) to provide redress to affected customers. They are also prohibited from making any misrepresentation about the qualities or features of their advertising or marketing services, the collection and use of voice data, whether consumers have consented to such collection, and the geographic targeting capabilities of their services.
In-house legal teams should review vendor and customer agreements related to marketing and advertising services, particularly those involving data collection from smart devices or voice data. Contracts should include accurate representations about data collection practices, require explicit consumer consent mechanisms, and include warranties that services comply with the FTC Act. Additionally, agreements with marketing partners should contain indemnification clauses for false or misleading claims about data collection or targeting capabilities, and should specify that any AI-powered features are accurately described.
Entity
CMG Media Corporation
Industry
AdvertisingOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/08/ftc-finalizes-orders-cox-media-group-two-other-firms-settling-charges-they-deceived-customers-about
CMGComplaintwithoutsignatures
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/CMGComplaintwithoutsignatures.pdf
Mindsift Complaint withoutsignatures
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Mindsift-Complaint-withoutsignatures.pdf
1010digitalworksllccomplaintwithoutsignatures
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/1010digitalworksllccomplaintwithoutsignatures.pdf
2423029c4838cmgfinalorder
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/2423029c4838cmgfinalorder.pdf
mindsift do final
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/mindsift-do-final.pdf
1010digital do final
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/1010digital-do-final.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"CMG Media Corporation, which does business as Cox Media Group"
"pay a total of $930,000"
"CMG must pay $880,000 while both MindSift and 1010 Digital Works must each pay $25,000"
"would itself violate the FTC Act"
"deceived customers by falsely claiming to offer an AI-powered service that could target localized ads based on conversations captured from consumers’ smart devices and that consumers had opted into such targeting."
"the marketing service wasn’t based on voice data, and consumers hadn’t opted into this service."
The FTC, Utah, and Nevada sued Lens.com Inc., alleging that it advertised artificially low contact lens prices while hiding mandatory checkout charges and misleading consumers about its AutoRefill subscription. The complaint seeks to stop the alleged practices; the court has not yet decided the case, and no penalty or remedy has been imposed.
The FTC issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking public comment on whether ad-optimization tools offered by online platforms may help scammers impersonate businesses and government agencies. This is a proposed regulatory inquiry, not an enforcement action against a named company; no penalty or remedy was imposed.
$2.5B
A federal court approved a revised order in the FTC's Amazon Prime case under which Amazon will accelerate and expand redress payments under the September 2025 $2.5 billion settlement, which resolved allegations that Amazon enrolled millions of consumers in Prime subscriptions without their consent and knowingly made cancellation difficult. More consumers now qualify for refunds, the maximum payment cap rises from $51 to $200, and all future payments will be distributed automatically starting October 1, 2026, with potential supplemental $149 payments by April 2027. Amazon has already issued more than $845 million in redress payments as of September 2026.
$225.0M
The FTC and the state of Washington filed a joint complaint and proposed stipulated order requiring Amway Corp. and two affiliates—World Wide Group, L.L.C. (WWG) and Leadership Team Development Inc. (LTD)—to pay a $225 million judgment, the largest monetary recovery ever obtained from an MLM in an FTC action, over allegations that they used deceptive earnings claims and unfair tactics to recruit Independent Business Owners. The complaint alleges the companies falsely promised substantial income and recruitment success, pressured IBOs to buy products they could not resell, and instructed IBOs to falsely report sales. Nearly all of the judgment will be used as redress for IBOs who lost money, and the proposed order imposes structural reforms including a 70% resale requirement, independent audits of sales records, and a ban on approved providers charging new IBOs for first-year training.
$100.0M
FleetCor Technologies Inc. (now Corpay Inc.) and its CEO Ronald Clarke agreed to pay $100 million to settle an FTC administrative action alleging the company charged small business customers hidden and unauthorized fees for fuel cards and misrepresented gas savings, fraud-control features, and fees. A federal district court granted the FTC summary judgment on all counts in 2023, and a federal appeals court upheld that judgment and the permanent injunction in 2026. The settlement funds will be used to provide redress to harmed business customers.
FTC staff published FAQs on price transparency to help the automobile industry comply with the FTC Act, reiterating that an advertised vehicle price must be the actual price any consumer can pay, excluding only government-required charges. The guidance follows warning letters the FTC sent to 97 auto dealership groups earlier in 2026 and signals continued litigation against dealers that advertise one price but charge more through undisclosed fees. No specific entity was charged and no penalty was imposed.