Marketer fined $880K for false ad targeting claims

Marketing firm Cox Media Group (CMG) Local Solutions and two associated companies will pay a total of $905,000 in settlements to resolve Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations of deceptive advertising. CMG falsely claimed its 'Active Listening' service used AI to tap into device conversations for targeted ads. The FTC found the service did not listen to conversations or use voice data, instead reselling marked-up email lists. The companies are prohibited from misrepresenting their services' capabilities and data collection practices, emphasizing the need for honesty in marketing.