Author: Operations Team

New York, NY – January 8, 2026 – In a challenge brought by AT&T Services, Inc., BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division reviewed advertising claims made by T‑Mobile US, Inc. for its Wireless Communication Services plans and T‑Satellite service, finding that certain claims related to price increases were supported, while recommending that other price‑hike, satellite coverage, and added value claims be modified or discontinued. T-Mobile will appeal the National Advertising Division’s (NAD) decision regarding the challenged claims.

AT&T and T-Mobile are competitors in the wireless telecommunications industry. At issue for NAD was advertising by T-Mobile promoting its new “Experience More” and “Experience Beyond” rate plans that highlighted plan features, the value of features and benefits in its Experience Beyond plan, plan savings versus competitors, and the frequency of its price increases compared to competitors.

Price Hike Claims

In an eight-minute promotional video, T-Mobile claimed that “AT&T and Verizon have announced price increase over price increase a combined ten times in the past two years.” The language “10 price hikes in two years” appeared on the screen under the logos for AT&T and Verizon.

NAD found that the record showed that AT&T did not institute ten price increases and that AT&T and Verizon customers did not together experience ten price increases in the past two years. Accordingly, NAD recommended that T-Mobile discontinue the challenged “10 price hikes” claims.

Because T-Mobile customers experienced at most one price increase during the relevant time period, NAD found that T-Mobile’s claim that it had only one price increase on its talk, text, and data plans in the last ten years was supported.

Satellite Claims

At issue for NAD were claims made in a promotional video and in a T-Mobile press release that “If customers can see the sky, they’re connected [to T‑Satellite]” and “No matter where you are, you will never miss a moment,” as well as implied claims that T‑Satellite provides 100% coverage everywhere or everywhere the sky is visible.

NAD determined that these claims communicated universal coverage and cannot be properly qualified with a disclosure. Accordingly, NAD recommended that T-Mobile discontinue the two express claims and modify its advertising to avoid conveying the implied universal coverage messages.

Added Value Claims

AT&T challenged certain claims related to T-Mobile’s advertising that its “Experience Beyond” plan offers $200 of added value per line and $600 extra value for a family of three.  

NAD determined that T-Mobile provided support for its $200 of added value claims, but that the claims did not adequately communicate the basis of the “bargain” that T-Mobile is offering to consumers. NAD determined that T-Mobile did not have a reasonable basis for its $600 of extra value for a family of three claims. NAD recommended that T-Mobile discontinue or modify these claims so that they are genuine, truthful, enumerate the benefits in the main claim or a clear disclosure, and provide consumers with material information about how individual benefits are valued.

Claims that Families Can Save 20%

During the proceeding, T-Mobile informed NAD that it would permanently discontinue certain “families can save 20%” claims. Therefore, NAD did not review the claims on their merits and will treat the discontinued claims, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended they be discontinued and T-Mobile agreed to comply.

In its advertiser statement, T-Mobile stated while, “it appreciates NAD’s role in preserving the integrity of self-regulation, it respectfully disagrees with and will appeal NAD’s decision.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. Per NAD/NARB Procedures, this release may not be used for promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than 20 globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create fair competition for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and create fair competition for business.  

• The new Michelin Wild Enduro and Michelin E-Wild Performance Line tires are designed for performance-oriented riding.
• Derived from their Michelin Racing Line counterparts, the new Performance Line tires deliver an excellent balance between performance, grip, robustness and durability.
• The Michelin Wild Enduro and Michelin E-Wild Performance Line tires are now available.

GREENVILLE, S.C. January 7, 2026 — Michelin expands its Mountain Bike tire product portfolio with two new tire ranges for enduro enthusiasts. The Michelin Wild Enduro and E-Wild Performance Line tires are now available in the U.S. and Canada.

“Michelin’s history with cycling for more than 130 years is defined by innovations that continuously shape the future of the sport,” said Brandon Chapel, bicycle brand manager at Michelin North America, Inc. “The new Performance Line tires apply Michelin’s expertise from our global racing DNA and relationships with professional teams to create well-balanced tires that meet the demands of everyday riding.”

Michelin Wild Enduro Performance Line

The Michelin Wild Enduro Performance Line tires were designed for riders looking for the right balance of performance, comfort and reliability. A double ply 33 TPI casing delivers a more gradual rebound and creates a composed ride feel.

A bead-to-bead shield helps protect the sidewalls and provides a high level of overall durability. Pinch Protection technology is designed to limit pinch flats and sidewall tears for added reliability over a variety of terrains.

Magi-X and Gum-X compounds work together to optimize rolling efficiency while maximizing cornering grip when descending. This bi-compound technology offers balance between rolling efficiency, durability and grip, enabling riders to push the limits of themselves and their equipment.

The Wild Enduro Performance Line tires are available in a range of sizes for riders using both 29” and 27.5″ tires, with options for Mixed-Soft (MS), Mixed-Hard (MH) and Rear applications.

Michelin E-Wild Performance Line

The Michelin E-Wild Performance Line tires respond to the unique demands of E-Mountain Bikes where riders will benefit from a tire that has been designed and optimized for everyday riding. The new Performance Line tires apply Michelin’s expertise from its E-Wild Racing Line tires to create a well-balanced tire.

The bi-compound tread plays a key role in balancing grip, rolling efficiency and tire longevity with Michelin Gum-X and Michelin Magi-X technology. Anti-pinch and anti-puncture protection helps to provide full-tire durability, while low-pressure reinforcements allow riders to optimize air pressure to maximize grip.

The Michelin E-Wild Performance Line tires are available in a range of sizes for riders using both 29” and 27.5″ tires in front and rear applications. To learn more, visit michelinman.com/bicycle.

About Michelin North America, Inc.:

Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies and healthcare. The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America, Inc. has approximately 23,500 employees and operates 36 production facilities in the United States (michelinman.com) and Canada (michelin.ca).

New York, NY – January 5, 2025 – Following a challenge initiated as part of its routine monitoring program, BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division reviewed performance claims and testimonials featured in advertising for U Beauty’s Resurfacing Flash Peel.

U Beauty’s mailer and social media included claims and testimonials regarding professional-level results at home in as few as five minutes, clinical-grade exfoliation, and visibly brighter, smoother skin with smaller-looking pores after only one use.

During the inquiry, U Beauty informed the National Advertising Division (NAD) that it had permanently discontinued the challenged claims. Therefore, NAD did not review the claims on their merits and will treat the discontinued claims, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended they be discontinued and the advertiser agreed to comply.

In its advertiser statement, U Beauty stated, “it has agreed to comply with NAD’s recommendation.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. Per NAD/NARB Procedures, this release may not be used for promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than 20 globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create fair competition for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and create fair competition for business.  

New York, NY – December 22, 2025 – In a joint inquiry, BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division and Children’s Advertising Review Unit found that ADC Solutions USA, LLC d/b/a Horizon Brands, LLC supported certain claims for its Tiny Traveler Ai Classic Baby Monitor but recommended that other claims be modified or discontinued. In addition, CARU concluded that the product does not violate CARU’s Privacy Guidelines and that COPPA was not triggered.

Horizon Brands sells the Tiny Traveler Ai Classic Baby Monitor, a smart baby monitor that contains two primary parts: a camera, containing an AI Chip produced by a third-party, Kneron, and a monitor, containing a removable SD storage card.

At issue for the National Advertising Division (NAD) and the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) were advertising claims and privacy practices for the monitor, including that it is an “AI-Powered Smart Baby Monitor Solution,” offers “Laugh Detection” and “Cry Detection,” provides “Virtual Fence” and “Stand Detection,” and ensures “Secured Local Storage.”

“AI-Powered” Claim

NAD considered whether Horizon Brands had a reasonable basis for its broad claim that the Tiny Traveler Ai Classic Baby Monitor is an “AI-Powered Smart Baby Monitor Solution.”

NAD found the evidence submitted by Horizon Brands regarding the Kneron AI chip and product inspection reports supported the general “AI-Powered” claim.

Emotion Detection Claims

At issue for NAD were claims that the monitor could detect laughing and crying and alert parents. Video demonstrations and internal testing summaries showed laugh detection accuracy averaging around 89% and cry detection accuracy around 78%.

NAD noted that testing was limited in scope and not sufficient to support the emotion detection claims in the context in which they appear. In addition, Horizon Brands explained that the baby monitor has a sensor that allows detection in low-light and night-time environments and that there are certain limitations on the facial detection technology. Specifically, the camera has to be a certain distance away from the infant and the infant must be in the frame for the technology to work.

Therefore, NAD recommended that Horizon Brands clearly and conspicuously disclose the functionality limitations on the baby monitor’s ability to identify emotions.

Motion Detection Claims

NAD reviewed claims about the monitor’s “Virtual Fence” and “Stand Detection.” Horizon Brands provided evidence showing how the technology works, including internal testing showing approximately 90% accuracy for Virtual Fence alerts.

NAD determined that the challenged claims could convey safety assurances to consumers, rather than simply providing information for parents to act on, a message that was not substantiated. Therefore, NAD recommended that Horizon Brands discontinue language that conveys to parents that its baby monitor can “ensure [an infant’s] safety” so that parents can “rest easy.” NAD also recommended that Horizon Brands modify its advertising to clearly and conspicuously disclose the functionality limitations on the baby monitor’s ability to detect motion.

Privacy Practices

CARU reviewed whether the Tiny Traveler Ai Classic Baby Monitor’s privacy practices complied with CARU’s Privacy Guidelines and COPPA. CARU found that processing occurs on-device using the Kneron AI chip, and that video and images are stored only on the monitor’s removable SD card. CARU noted that no data is uploaded to the cloud, the internet, or Horizon Brands’ servers, and infant data is not used for further training or shared with third parties.Therefore, CARU concluded that the product does not violate CARU’s Privacy Guidelines and that COPPA was not triggered.

During the inquiry, Horizon Brands agreed to permanently discontinue the claim “Always Safe, Always Close.” Therefore, NAD did not review the claims on their merits and will treat the discontinued claims, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended they be discontinued and Horizon Brands agreed to comply.

In its advertiser statement, Horizon Brands stated it will “comply with NAD’s recommendations” and “appreciates the opportunity to participate in NAD and CARU’s review process.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. Per NAD/NARB Procedures, this release may not be used for promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than 20 globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create fair competition for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and create fair competition for business.  

About Children’s Advertising Review Unit: The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), a division of BBB National Programs helps companies comply with laws and guidelines that protect children from deceptive or inappropriate advertising and ensure that, in an online environment, children’s data is collected and handled responsibly. When advertising or data collection practices are misleading, inappropriate, or inconsistent with laws and guidelines, CARU seeks change through the voluntary cooperation of companies and where relevant, enforcement action.

New York, NY – December 16, 2025 – A panel of BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate advertising body of BBB National Programs, has determined that certain claims made by Kendal Nutricare Limited for its Kendamil infant formula products are supported and not misleading.

Kendal Nutricare produces infant formulas under the Kendamil brand. The challenger, Nurture, LLC, a subsidiary of Danone, produces organic infant and toddler products under brands such as Happy Baby and Happy Tot.

Kendal Nutricare was challenged by Nurture before BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD). The challenger appealed NAD’s determination (Case #7422) that Kendal could continue to make claims related to its whole milk ingredient in its infant formulas that naturally contains MFGM (milk fat globule membrane) and its association with cognitive development and claims that its formulas do not contain specific oils commonly used in its competitor’s formulas.

The NARB panel agreed with NAD’s conclusion that Kendal’s statements, such as “What we do is grass-fed whole milk and lactose sourced locally from European family farms with naturally present MFGM, with the addition of HMOs, dual prebiotics (GOS & FOS), and plant- based DHA & ARA” and “Whole milk fats are similar to those found in breast milk, with naturally occurring MFGM supporting cognitive development,” are truthful and not misleading. The panel agreed with NAD’s conclusion that the research in the record supports the claim that whole milk as the primary ingredient in infant formula will contain the key ingredient MFGM, which has been shown in studies of breast milk and MFGM-supplemented infant formula to provide cognitive development benefits. The panel agreed with NAD that the advertiser’s express claims do not convey the challenged implied claim that “the naturally occurring MFGM in Kendamil formulas is comparable to that which has been shown to have a positive effect on neurodevelopment.”

The NARB panel also agreed with NAD’s conclusion that Kendal’s claims, such as “Kendamil Organic infant formula combines only the finest quality and sustainably sourced organic ingredients, starting with natural whole milk fats (present with MFGM identified in breast milk and shown to support cognitive development) and lactose from grass-fed cows – replacing palm oil, soy, and corn syrups while creating a naturally creamy formula closer to breast milk and wholesome by nature,” are truthful and not misleading. The panel confirmed that Kendal’s formula contains additive oils like sunflower, rapeseed, and coconut, and that its claims do not imply that all fats in the formula come exclusively from whole milk.

The panel determined that consumers of organic infant formula are relatively sophisticated and discerning and will not misunderstand the information about the Kendamil products provided by the advertiser. Accordingly, the panel agreed with NAD’s conclusion that Kendal had support for its whole milk and MFGM and oil additive claims and that the claims are not misleading.

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. Per NAD/NARB procedures, this release may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes.

New York, NY, December 11, 2025 – BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division challenged express and implied advertising claims made by Proximity Capital Partners, LLC d/b/a Asutra concerning the efficacy of its Magnesium Body Butter with Capsaicin.

The challenged health-related claims, including claims that Asutra’s Magnesium Body Butter with Capsaicin provides relief from chronic pain, aids recovery, and promotes comfort and better sleep, as well as the implied claim that it eliminates chronic pain in a short period of time, appeared on Asutra’s website.

During the inquiry, Asutra informed the National Advertising Division (NAD) that it had permanently discontinued the challenged claims for business reasons unrelated to the challenge. Therefore, NAD did not review the claims on their merits and will treat the discontinued claims, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended they be discontinued and Asutra agreed to comply.

In its advertiser statement, Asutra stated it “supports industry-self regulation and appreciates NAD’s important role in the process.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. Per NAD/NARB Procedures, this release may not be used for promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than 20 globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create fair competition for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and create fair competition for business.  

Protégé General AI seamlessly unifies LexisNexis authoritative content, customer legal documents, and open web insights for expanded AI-driven work in a single secure legal AI workflow solution

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 10, 2025 – LexisNexis^® Legal & Professional, a global leader in private, secure, authoritative, legal AI workflow solutions, today announced the next generation of Protégé General AI, which now brings together authoritative LexisNexis legal content, customer legal documents, and open web insights, backed by Shepard’s^® Citations, in a single, secure Lexis+ AI® environment. Protégé General AI empowers legal professionals to expand what they can accomplish, from drafting and exploring ideas, to solving complex problems.

Users can choose Protégé Legal AI, which is optimized for authoritative legal AI workflows like legal drafting and analysis, or Protégé General AI, which allows users to perform a wide range of tasks using the latest available AI models grounded in web content and LexisNexis content. A new General AI default selection, Best Fit, can automatically select the best model for each task, or users can choose from the newest models including Claude Sonnet 4.5 from Anthropic or GPT-5.1 from OpenAI, as well as earlier models such as Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-4o, GPT-5, and OpenAI o3. The Shepard’s® Citation Agent will verify and link recognized legal citations.

Now, Protégé General AI delivers:

• A unified answer across multiple content sources: With combined insights from customer legal documents, open web search, and LexisNexis comprehensive legal content, Protégé simplifies legal work in a seamless experience. Protégé General AI guides the user to authoritative Legal AI when appropriate, based on the nature of the user’s question or task.
• Best Fit mode with user control: An intelligent model switcher selects the optimal AI model for the user’s task by default, or users can manually choose their preferred model.
• Trusted citations: Shepard’s® Citation checks and labeled sources let legal professionals work with confidence.
• Flexible source selection: Users can choose to ground Protégé responses in all or any combination of LexisNexis, web, and customer content.
• Advanced reasoning and Deep Research capabilities: Users can address high-complexity legal problems and toggle Deep Research capabilities for even more advanced reasoning.
• Security and Privacy by Design: The fully encrypted Lexis+ AI environment ensures enterprise-grade data privacy protections for confident access to general purpose models.
• Streamlined experience: A simplified interface keeps questions, sources, citations, and drafts together for a more efficient, transparent workflow.

“Legal professionals want one trusted legal AI workflow solution,” said Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO, LexisNexis North America, UK, and Ireland. “Only LexisNexis can bring together agentic intelligence, customer documents, open web insights, and our authoritative content to produce next-level legal drafts and work output backed by Shepard’s®.”

This next-generation release arrives shortly after the October commercial launch of Protégé General AI, reflecting the rapid pace of customer-driven innovation and underscoring LexisNexis’ continued leadership in private, secure, and authoritative legal AI workflows. Protégé General AI now delivers more powerful and flexible AI workflows, enabling legal professionals to:

• Draft more precise communications including client emails, matter updates, and plain-language explanations tailored to legal and non-legal audiences.
• Accelerate foundational research with fast overviews of technical concepts and evolving areas such as AI policy and crypto regulation.
• Enrich legal work with real-world context using non-legal sources to strengthen legal strategy and recommendations.
• Drive more strategic ideation by outlining arguments, testing counterpoints, exploring alternative approaches, and getting a second “opinion” from AI.
• Break down complex, multi-layered problems across M&A, compliance, multi-party disputes, and emerging regulatory issues.
• Securely upload and analyze documents, generating summaries, issue lists, and audience-specific versions across a wider range of formats.

Powering these integrated AI workflows is a new agentic infrastructure that enables AI agents to collaborate and reason through complex legal AI workflows that demand broad understanding from diverse data sources. These agents include the Orchestrator Agent that coordinates agents, the Legal Research Agent that decomposes user prompts into legal questions and generates answers based on relevant legal authorities from LexisNexis content, the Web Search Agent that brings relevant open web insights into Protégé to expand responses, and the Customer Document Research Agent that autonomously reasons, plans, and uses other research tools to produce richer and more context-aware analysis based on customers’ own documents.

The new infrastructure extends the capabilities of Agentic Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), which excels at understanding user intent, intelligently planning, and retrieving the most relevant and authoritative information to ensure that AI responses remain accurate, grounded, and trustworthy.

To learn more about Protégé: www.lexisnexis.com/protege and Protégé in Lexis+ AI: www.lexisnexis.com/ai.

About LexisNexis AI Development

LexisNexis prioritizes a customer-driven AI innovation approach that solves complex problems and enhances value. The company employs over 2,000 technologists, data scientists, and experts to develop, test, and validate solutions in line with RELX Responsible AI Principles. The company responsibly develops safe AI solutions with human oversight, backed by advanced encryption and privacy technology. Its global technology platform seamlessly integrates the latest AI advancements, including agentic AI, legal-tuned models, and a proprietary framework for the development of legal-tuned agents, within a multi-cloud infrastructure supported by partners AWS, Anthropic, Microsoft, Mistral, and OpenAI. This enables high model performance and authoritative responses anchored in comprehensive legal content, validated through Shepard’s® Citation Service.

About LexisNexis Legal & Professional

LexisNexis Legal & Professional provides AI-powered legal, regulatory, business information, analytics, and workflows that help customers increase their productivity, improve decision-making, achieve better outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis^® and Nexis^® services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 150 countries with 11,800 employees worldwide, is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.

McLean, VA – December 9, 2025 – BBB National Programs’ Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP) has worked with The Zillow Group and select brands under its portfolio — Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, and StreetEasy — to bring its websites and mobile apps into compliance with the Digital Advertising Alliance’s (DAA) Self-Regulatory Principles for online interest-based advertising (IBA).

As part of its routine monitoring, DAAP reviewed Zillow.com and observed third-party data collection for IBA. DAAP then expanded its review to other Zillow Group brand websites and mobile applications, including Trulia, StreetEasy, and HotPads. 

The review found that, on both desktop and mobile applications, enhanced notice (a clear and prominent link to information about IBA and how consumers can opt out of it) was not consistently provided in accordance with the DAA’s Transparency Principle. Broken links, missing enhanced notice, and absent statements of adherence to the DAA Principles were observed across the brands’ digital properties.

Prior to its outreach to the Zillow Group, DAAP also noted the collection of precise location data in the Zillow mobile app by third parties known to engage in IBA. This activity was no longer found to be present once the inquiry was underway. During the inquiry, the Zillow Group confirmed that it does not collect and process precise location data by default.

In response to DAAP’s inquiry, the Zillow Group conducted comprehensive reviews of its websites and mobile applications for compliance with the DAA Principles, identifying areas for strengthening. The Zillow Group worked to find comprehensive solutions to each issue and consulted with DAAP on its plan to come into compliance with the DAA Principles.

Enhanced Notice of Website Data Collection for IBA 

To comply with the DAA Principles’ enhanced notice requirements, the Zillow Group: 

• Added website footer links titled “Ad Choices” to the Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, and StreetEasy websites that redirect users to a section of the Zillow Group’s Website Privacy Notice titled “Third-Party Tracking and Interest-Based Advertising.” 
• Updated its Website Privacy Notice to prominently display “To learn more about how Zillow uses interest-based advertising – and to manage your ad choices – please review the ‘Third-Party Tracking & Interest-Based Advertising’ section of our Privacy Notice below and visit our Privacy Portal,” and provided a link to the “Third-Party Tracking and Interest-Based Advertising” section of the website Privacy Notice.

The Zillow Group included all elements of DAA enhanced notice, including: (1) a description of third-party IBA practices, including descriptions of web tracking technologies used on the Zillow Group’s digital properties, (2) a link to, and description of, industry-developed IBA opt-out tools, and (3) a statement of adherence to the DAA Principles.

Mobile Data; Cross-App Data Collection  

Zillow’s authorization of third-party collection of unique identifiers for IBA in its iOS and Android mobile apps triggered compliance responsibilities under the first-party cross-app provisions of the DAA’s Mobile Guidance.

To comply with the DAA Mobile Guidance Principles, the Zillow Group: 

• Added a prominent link at the top of the Privacy Notice and in mobile app settings pages directing users to IBA disclosures and the Privacy Portal.  
• Provided that app store listings now link to the IBA statement at the top of the Privacy Notice for direct access to enhanced notice. 
• Added enhanced notice links titled “Ad Choices” to all four mobile apps’ settings pages (iOS and Android) linking to the IBA section of the Zillow Group website Privacy Notice. 

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the  case decision library. To access all DAAP decisions, visit the DAAP decisions webpage.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than 20 globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create fair competition for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the Digital Advertising Accountability Program: The Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP), a division of BBB National Programs, was developed by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) to enforce industry self-regulation principles for data privacy in online and mobile advertising, holding companies accountable to the DAA’s Privacy Principles. DAAP provides guidance to companies looking to comply with industry principles and responds to complaints filed by consumers about online privacy.