If a company makes a false claim in an advertisement, the government has the power to hold that company accountable and not allow consumers to be fleeced.
That’s because the Federal Trade Commission regulates truth in advertising.
“When consumers see or hear an advertisement, whether it’s on the Internet, radio or television, or anywhere else, federal law says that ad must be truthful, not misleading, and, when appropriate, backed by scientific evidence,” the
FTC boasts
. “The FTC enforces these truth-in-advertising laws, and it applies the same standards no matter where an ad appears — in newspapers and magazines, online, in the mail, or on billboards or buses.”
But that’s not the case for what we hear on cable news or read on social media (or
political ads
for that matter). And that was put into stark relief last week when Fox News’ Tucker Carlson tried to rewrite history on the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
Rioters, inspired by former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential election that he lost, stormed the Capitol in hopes of trying to stop the ceremonial certification of Joe Biden’s win.
Since then,
more than 1,000 people have been arrested and are facing charges
. More than 500 have been convicted so far for their roles that day.
And yet, after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave over a virtual pallet of video footage from that day — as part of a deal he struck with members on the right flank of the party to get himself elected speaker — Carlson went on air showing benign images from that day.
“The crowd was enormous,” Carlson said. “A small…
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