False Advertising on the Internet - USA

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Forwarded message:
Date:     Fri Sep 16, 1994 08:34 am EDT




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(C) 1994 FYI Online




FTC-Internet - False Advertising Charged on the Information Superhighway


WASHINGTON (AP) _ A federal court has ordered a promotion on the
worldeide computer network known as the Internet halted in response
to a Federal Trade Commission false-advertising complaint.


``As these computer networks continue to grow, we will not
tolerate the use of deceptive practices here any more than we have
tolerated them on other recently emerged technologies for
marketing,'' FTC Chairman Janet D. Steiger said Wednesday in
announcing the court edict.


The FTC charged Brian Corzine of Sacramento, Calif., with making
false claims in promoting a credit-repair program.


Corzine said in a telephone interview that he was a reseller of
the program, which was developed by other people and had been
presented to him as perfectly legal.


Corzine, also known as Brian Chase, sold the system for $99
through a business called Chase Consulting, the FTC said. It said
the court in Sacramento had ordered the promotion halted.


The promotion claimed to provide legal ways to repair credit,
while actually suggesting illegal steps, the commission charged.