Tag: IPS

McLean, VA – September 10, 2024 – BBB National Programs’ Center for Industry Self-Regulation today announced that it will develop a curriculum on industry self-regulation for law, business, and public policy school programs, filling a significant gap in current higher education. The initial work will be funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

The announcement was made by Eric D. Reicin, who serves as President and CEO of the Center for Industry Self-Regulation, the 501(c)(3) foundation of BBB National Programs.

The recipient of the funding, the Center for Industry Self-Regulation (CISR), believes that independent, accountable industry self-regulation, a type of soft law, is a crucial yet under-utilized tool for solving complex modern business challenges. Recognizing that this policy tool is often overlooked, CISR aims to bridge the gap by incorporating soft law coursework into law, business, and public policy school programs nationwide.

This new industry self-regulation curriculum will foster a comprehensive understanding of its potential benefits, including enhanced private-sector accountability and addressing gaps in government regulation and legislation.

“Soft law bridges a company’s internal compliance efforts and the hard law of government regulations, promoting ethical business operations with transparency and accountability,” said Reicin. “Incorporating industry self-regulation coursework into law schools will prepare future leaders to navigate the complex terrain of compliance and innovation. We sincerely appreciate the John Templeton Foundation for its generous support of this work.”

CISR will collaborate with The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University’s Center for Law, Science and Innovation to develop and pilot the coursework on industry self-regulation, focusing on the conditions that allow it to thrive and case studies of its successful applications, with evaluations from 11 other graduate programs at institutions of higher education across the country. The curriculum will cover:

• Types of industry self-regulation, such as soft law, co-regulatory models, and codes of practice.
• Conditions under which self-regulation can work, compared to corporate compliance and government regulation, and when it is less likely to succeed.
• Case studies of successful self-regulatory programs across various industries.
• Interaction between self-regulatory programs and government.

“While traditional regulation has been extensively studied and taught in professional schools, self-regulation has essentially been ignored, and this CISR project seeks to remedy that deficiency and help address areas of emerging technologies that are too complex for traditional regulation to effectively govern,” said Gary Marchant, J.D., Ph.D., Regents Professor and Faculty Director, The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University’s Center for Law, Science and Innovation. “We are delighted to collaborate with CISR on this much-needed academic curriculum on industry self-regulation within the fields of law, business, and public policy.”

For more information, visit the CISR website.

This project was made possible through the support of Grant 63310 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

About CISR

The Center for Industry Self-Regulation (CISR), BBB National Programs’ 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, was created to harness the power of independent, industry self-regulation to address the marketplace trust challenges businesses face today. CISR is dedicated to education and research that supports responsible business leaders developing fair, future-proof best practices, and to the education of the general public on the conditions necessary for industry self-regulation. Learn more at industryselfregulation.org.

BBB National Programs Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (FEIN: 84-5021924) DBA as The Center for Industry Self-Regulation at 1676 International Drive, Suite 550 | McLean, VA 22102 © The Center for Industry Self-Regulation, 2024. All Rights Reserved. BBB National Programs’ 501(c)(3) Foundation.

• One restaurant receives a MICHELIN Star, bringing total to six
• New Bib Gourmand added, plus four Special Awards
• 46 total restaurants, 15 cuisine types reflected in state Guide

DENVER, Sept. 9, 2024 — Alma Fonda Fina, joined the exclusive list of MICHELIN- Starred restaurants in North America, as the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Colorado was revealed today.

In addition to a new Starred restaurant, the state Guide boasts a new Bib Gourmand, MAKfam, bringing the selection’s total to nine. The full selection, including Green Stars and Recommended eateries, totals 46 restaurants with 15 cuisine types represented.

“As we celebrate year two of the MICHELIN Guide in Colorado, we can see the passion and momentum continue to grow in this culinary community,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “We are very excited to welcome Alma Fonda Fina into the family of MICHELIN-Starred restaurants. The famously anonymous Inspectors were also eager to shine a light on the growing talent in the local community, with a handful of new restaurants added to the selection.”

Here are the new One-MICHELIN-Star restaurants and Bib Gourmands, with Inspector notes

from each (Inspectors’ comments in full on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app):

One MICHELIN Star

Alma Fonda Fina (Denver; Mexican cuisine)

Chef Johnny Curiel started off in his family’s restaurant in Guadalajara, and after years of high-end culinary experience, he revisits dishes and flavors from his upbringing with creativity and finely honed technique delivering results that are both satisfying and delicious. Resist the temptation to fixate on any one item, as the menu is littered with treasures: perfectly crisped pork belly carnitas make for a brilliant taco on a sourdough flour tortilla, while agave-roasted sweet potato with nutty salsa matcha and luxuriously creamy whipped requesón is a revelation, and vibrant seafood crudos like thinly sliced Maine diver scallop with tomatillo and apple aguachile are downright electric. No desserts are offered for the time being, so there’s no reason to leave any extra room.

Bib Gourmand

The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors identified one new restaurant to award the Bib Gourmand designation, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value.

MAKfam (Denver; Chinese cuisine)

What began as a pop-up back in NYC, where owners and married couple Doris Yuen and Kenneth Wan first met, and then became a stall in a Denver food hall, is now at last a full-service restaurant. The winsome, colorful space and the compact menu both celebrate the pair’s Chinese American roots, both having been raised by immigrant families who worked in restaurants. Fried crab and cheese wontons and hand-shaped chicken and chive potstickers are inspired by Chinatown favorites and takeout staples, made with particular care and big flavor. Chicken wings with a spicy, tingly málà seasoning are favorites with good reason, and larger dishes, like the familiar-yet- inventive corned beef fried rice or spicy garlic butter rice cakes, impress as well.

MICHELIN Special Awards

In addition to the Bib Gourmand and Stars, the Guide announced four Special Awards:

Hotels

The restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most exceptional places to stay in Colorado and throughout the world.

Each hotel in the selection has been chosen by MICHELIN Guide experts for its extraordinary style, service, and personality — with options for all budgets — and each can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for Colorado features the state’s most spectacular hotels, including upscale outdoor campsites like Collective Vail, standouts from our “Plus” collection like the Source Hotel and the Crawford Hotel in Denver, refurbished motels like Amigo Motor Lodge, rehabilitated wilderness ghost towns like Dunton Hot Springs, and of course, accommodations that have been awarded a MICHELIN Key, like Clayton Hotel & Members Club and the Little Nell.

The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it’s setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.

The 2024 MICHELIN Guide Colorado selection:

Colorado’s 2024 MICHELIN-Starred restaurants

Colorado’s 2024 MICHELIN-Green-Starred restaurants

Colorado’s 2024 Bib Gourmand restaurants

Colorado’s 2024 Recommended restaurants

The MICHELIN Guide in North America

Michelin announced its first North American Guide in 2005 for New York. Guides have also been added in Chicago (2011); Washington, D.C. (2017); California (San Francisco in 2007, statewide 2019); Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Florida (2022); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023), Mexico (2024), Texas (2024) and Quebec (2024).

About the MICHELIN Guide

Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants.

• The famous one, two and three MICHELIN Stars identify establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented
• The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value – often known as personal favorites among the inspectors when dining on their own time.
• The MICHELIN Green Star honors restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable
• Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide inspectors.

The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking an unforgettable meal and hospitality experience. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage the development of car mobility as well as tire sales by giving practical advice to motorists. Progressively, the Guide has specialized in restaurant and hotel recommendations. Michelin’s inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by the inspectors in the very beginning.

The restaurant selections join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay around the world. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an amazing hotel.

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently in more than 45 destinations, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining.

All restaurants in the Guide are recommended by Michelin’s anonymous inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated.

To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world.

About Michelin North America, Inc.

Michelin is the leading mobility company and manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. For more than 130 years, Michelin has made contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications for demanding fields, including mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies and healthcare and offer the finest experiences, 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 has approximately 23,500 employees and operates 35 production

Aplicativo oferece soluções acessíveis e profissionais para edição de imagens de produtos com IA

A Photoroom, inovadora startup parisiense, se destaca no mercado de e-commerce e redes sociais ao oferecer um aplicativo que utiliza inteligência artificial (IA) para transformar fotografias de produtos, inserindo-os em cenários gerados artificialmente. A plataforma é especialmente voltada para pequenos comerciantes e microempreendedores que buscam criar imagens com qualidade profissional para promover seus produtos e serviços online.

“Nosso objetivo com a Photoroom é democratizar o acesso à fotografia de qualidade para todos os empreendedores, independentemente do tamanho de seus negócios,” explica Matthieu Rouif, co-fundador e CEO da Photoroom. “Com nosso aplicativo, qualquer pessoa pode criar, em pouco minutos, imagens que inspiram confiança e transmitam a essência de seus produtos, sem a necessidade de habilidades avançadas em edição.”

A história da Photoroom

Tudo começou com o lançamento de uma ferramenta simples de remoção de planos de fundo, que rapidamente conquistou vendedores em todo o mundo. Desde então, a ferramenta evoluiu e se tornou uma solução completa, incorporando diversas ferramentas avançadas.

O “Fundo IA”, por exemplo, utiliza o poder da IA para criar cenários personalizados a partir de simples instruções em texto ou imagens, permitindo que os usuários ofereçam produtos com arte de qualidade que antes exigiria certos investimentos significativos em fotografia e edição. Além disso, ao inserir uma única imagem e remover o fundo, o próprio aplicativo fornece uma galeria de possibilidades e aplicações com planos de fundos diferenciados para o mesmo produto.

“Nossa IA criativa trabalha de forma minimalista e eficiente, preservando cada detalhe do produto enquanto cria um ambiente envolvente ao redor dele. Isso é essencial para revendedores que precisam manter a integridade do produto e, ao mesmo tempo, apresentar imagens visualmente atraentes” comenta Rouif.

Como a Photoroom se destaca no mercado

Com uma interface intuitiva, a Photoroom simplifica a criação de conteúdos visuais, oferecendo ferramentas que não necessitam de expertise ou treinamento prévio. Tudo é criado e feito em poucos cliques, desde a edição simples de imagens até a colaboração em equipe, o aplicativo foi projetado para ser uma solução completa e eficiente.

A ferramenta permite que os usuários criem imagens personalizadas para diferentes públicos, adaptando para diversos cenários e situações, auxiliando e transformando a maneira como as pequenas marcas apresentam e impressionam os clientes com seus produtos.

Segundo Matthieu, a IA criativa fornecida pela Photoroom trabalha com o produto de forma detalhista, sem alterar nenhum pixel do item fotografado. A ferramenta cria imagens realistas e precisas que mantêm a qualidade do produto original.  

Acessibilidade e custo-benefício

O aplicativo está disponível para iOS, Android e Web, oferecendo uma versão gratuita com ferramentas completas, como remoção de fundo com IA e geração de cenários.

Entretanto, para aqueles que necessitam de funcionalidades mais avançadas, a versão Photoroom Pro apresenta recursos adicionais, como criação de equipes, suporte prioritário ao cliente, remoção de marca d’água e redimensionamento inteligentes de imagens, além do inovador “Modo em Lote”, que permite a edição simultânea de várias imagens.

A solução para os empreendedores

Com a Photoroom, o processo de criação é simplificado: apenas alguns cliques são necessários para remover fundos, criar perfis e logotipos para redes sociais ou colocar a imagem em um novo cenário. Desde que foi lançado, a empresa se destaca por sua abordagem inovadora, pela eficiência na ferramenta e por auxiliar inúmeros empreendedores a divulgarem e venderem seus produtos.

“Sabemos que os consumidores são bombardeados com informações e imagens o tempo todo, principalmente nas redes sociais. Nosso desafio é ajudar as marcas a criarem conteúdos que se destaquem e captem a atenção do público. Tenho orgulho em afirmar que a Photoroom tem facilitado esse processo para muitos, criamos um ambiente onde empreendedores podem gerar imagens que vendem, e nosso objetivo é continuar inovando e aprimorando a ferramenta para colaborar ainda mais com os negócios de nossos usuários” finaliza Matthieu.

Following the successful launch of the English Lexis+ AI solution in Canada, Lexis+ AI is now commercially available in French, becoming the first comprehensive bilingual Canadian legal generative AI solution available in Canada. Grounded in French-Canadian content, including practical guidance, Lexis+ AI delivers fully encrypted, secure interactions, and responses that are backed by verifiable linked legal citations.

Toronto, ON – September 4, 2024 – LexisNexis^® Legal & Professional, a leading global provider of legal information and analytics, today announced that Lexis+ AI, the legal generative AI solution, has launched in English and French for Canadian users. This follows the successful commercial launch of the English Lexis+ AI solution to the Canadian market on July 25, 2024, and previous launches in the USA, Australia, UK, and France.

Lexis+ AI delivers trusted responses in a familiar, easy-to-use interface that uses an extensively enhanced LexisNexis proprietary Retrieval Augmented Generation 2.0 (RAG 2.0) platform. Lexis+ AI responses are grounded in one of the world’s largest collections of authoritative and exclusive French-Canadian legal content including primary, secondary, analytical content and Practical Guidance modules.

Lexis+ AI provides direct links to underlying citable authority in its responses. This allows users to instantly validate results, reducing the risk of invented content, or hallucinations. Lexis+ AI automatically checks all linked citations against LexisNexis’ content to ensure they are valid.

The solution’s AI capabilities were built internally at LexisNexis with world-leading tech partnerships, enabling the company to rapidly introduce new features and technology and provide customers with a seamlessly integrated experience across the LexisNexis ecosystem.

Developed with input from leading legal professionals in Quebec and across Canada, Lexis+ AI has been developed to meet the day-to-day needs of lawyers. Lexis+ AI features conversational search, intelligent legal drafting, insightful summarization, and document upload capabilities, all supported by state-of-the-art encryption and privacy technology to keep sensitive data secure:

• Conversational search simplifies complex and time-consuming legal research by enabling users to conversationally interact with Lexis+ AI, explore new insights, and ask for adjusted and refined output.
• Document drafting instantly produces contract clauses and client communications from a simple user prompt.
• Summarization functionality delivers case summaries in seconds with more content and capabilities coming soon.
• Document upload capabilities enable users to rapidly analyze, summarize and extract key insights from legal documents.

Lexis+ AI offers industry-leading data security and attention to privacy. Uploaded documents are always purged at the end of each session and users can easily manage or delete their prompt conversation history.

The solution is continually improving, with LexisNexis legal subject matter experts regularly sampling hundreds of thousands of AI generated answers, to tune and educate the model. LexisNexis employs over 2,000 technologists, data scientists and subject matter experts to develop, test, and validate its solutions and deliver comprehensive, accurate information.

“This is an incredible milestone for the French-Canadian legal market. We take immense pride in expanding this ground-breaking legal solution to our French clients empowering them to thrive securely and confidently,” said Sam Puchala, President and General Manager of LexisNexis Canada. “The enthusiasm about Lexis+ AI underscores its game-changing potential, and we are thrilled to provide our clients with seamless access to our comprehensive legal resources and state-of-the-art AI capabilities, giving them a competitive edge like never before.”

LexisNexis is responsibly developing legal AI solutions with human oversight. LexisNexis, part of FTSE listed RELX, follows the RELX Responsible AI Principles. These require the business to consider the real-world impact of its solutions on people and to take proactive action to prevent the creation or reinforcement of unfair bias.

For more information on Lexis+ AI or to schedule a demo visit www.lexisnexis.ca/Lexis-Plus-AI.

About LexisNexis Legal & Professional

LexisNexis® Legal & Professional provides legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics 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.

• Quebec becomes 12^th MICHELIN Guide destination in North America
• MICHELIN Guide Inspectors are already in the field, finding culinary gems
• The 2025 inaugural selection will feature the whole province

QUEBEC CITY, August 29, 2024 — The MICHELIN Guide has arrived in the province of Quebec, as Michelin and l’Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec today revealed the MICHELIN Guide Quebec. The MICHELIN Guide Quebec will be the third destination in Canada, in addition to Toronto and Vancouver.

The first MICHELIN Guide Quebec selection will be revealed in 2025, and it will feature culinary gems throughout the province.

Quebec is home to a rich and diverse food scene with international influences and farm-to- table dishes thanks to the variety of locally grown ingredients found throughout the region. The province is home to both renowned chefs and up-and-coming talent looking to mix traditional and avant-garde cooking techniques into their dishes.

“We are excited to plant our flag in Quebec as the newest destination for the MICHELIN Guide in Canada,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “Quebec’s culinary scene shines a light on the rich heritage and traditions of the province attracting travelers on the lookout for remarkable and tasty experiences. I look forward to revealing what our anonymous Inspectors discover for this inaugural selection.”

The anonymous MICHELIN Guide Inspectors award the iconic MICHELIN Stars – one, two, or three – to unparalleled cuisine. The Guide is also renowned for its Bib Gourmand selection, highlighting restaurants that offer great quality food at good prices. The MICHELIN Green Star is given to restaurants that are leaders in sustainable gastronomy. Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the Inspectors.

“Quebec is a rich multicultural mosaic, which gives Quebecois cuisine an invaluable uniqueness,’’ said Geneviève Cantin, CEO of the Alliance. “It is with immense pride that all of our partners welcome the arrival of the MICHELIN Guide across the Province of Quebec, which will further showcase our local artisans on the international stage.”

The MICHELIN Guide is constantly observing the evolution of culinary destinations around the world. The MICHELIN Guide selections process remains completely independent. While selections remain fully independently determined by anonymous Inspectors, the MICHELIN Guide is working with the Alliance on marketing and promotion activities only.

History and methodology

The upcoming Quebec restaurant selection will follow Michelin’s historical methodology, based on five universal criteria, to ensure each destination’s selection equity: 1) quality products; 2) the harmony of flavors; 3) the mastery of cooking techniques; 4) the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; 5) consistency between each visit and throughout the menu (each restaurant is inspected several times a year).

The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking a great meal. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage tire sales by giving practical advice to French motorists. Michelin’s Inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by Inspectors in the very beginning, now applied in destinations around the world.

Michelin announced its first North American Guide in 2005 for New York. Guides have also been added in Chicago (2011); Washington, D.C. (2017); California (San Francisco in 2007, statewide 2019); Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Florida (2022); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023); Mexico (2024), Texas (2024) and today Quebec (2024).

About Michelin North America, Inc.

Michelin is the leading mobility company and manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. For more than 130 years, Michelin has made contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications for demanding fields, including mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies and healthcare and offer the finest experiences, 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 has approximately 23,500 employees and operates 35 production facilities in the United States (michelinman.com) and Canada (michelin.ca).

About l’Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec

Representing more than 12,000 businesses and 50 regional and sectoral tourism associations, the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance (Alliance) is the largest provincial tourism business federation in Canada. It embodies the commitment of the private and associative sectors to highlight the significant contribution of the tourism economic sector to the vitality of the regions while advocating on behalf of its members. All the Alliance’s actions aim to help make Quebec a sustainable, responsible, and prosperous world-class tourist destination.

The MICHELIN Guide Worldwide app for iOS and Android devices.

https://guide.michelin.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MICHELINGuideWorldwide

https://www.instagram.com/michelinguide

https://www.youtube.com/@MICHELINguideInternational

New York, NY – August 29, 2024 – BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division referred HiSmile PTY to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other regulatory authorities for review after HiSmile declined to provide an advertiser statement confirming it will comply with all of NAD’s recommendations.

Competitor Oral Essentials, Inc. challenged certain HiSmile claims for its tooth concealer products (V34 Colour Corrector Serum and Glostik) and teeth whitening products containing PAP (PAP+ Whitening Strips, PAP+ Whitening Pen, PAP+Whitening Toothpaste and VIO 405 Refills or “Tooth Whiteners”).

The challenged claims appeared on HiSmile’s website, social media, and Amazon listings.

Instant Claims

The National Advertising Division (NAD) determined that the studies and research submitted by HiSmile do not provide a reasonable basis for claims that HiSmile tooth concealers provide “instant brightening,” “immediately brighten(s)” teeth, and the description of Glostik as an “Instant Whitening Wand.” Therefore, NAD recommended that these claims be discontinued.

Further, NAD recommended that HiSmile discontinue claims of “clinically proven instant whitening results,” “instant brightening,” “immediately brightens,” and “instantly remove yellow teeth stains” for its tooth whitening products as the evidence was not a good fit to support the claims.

Sensitivity Claims

In the absence of support on the impact of the tooth whiteners on “sensitivity,” NAD determined HiSmile’s claims of “no tooth sensitivity,” “sensitivity-free whitening,” “strips away the stains without any sensitivity,” and “no gum irritation” were unsupported and recommended they be discontinued.

Product Demonstrations

Oral Essentials also challenged certain product demonstrations and endorsements of HiSmile’s products that appeared on social media, including experiments conducted on various foods such as an egg, a banana, a lemon, or an ear of corn.

NAD concluded that Hismile’s product demonstrations can be reasonably understood as a visual demonstration of the whitening power of its tooth concealer. NAD noted that when a product demonstration is presented as visual proof of how the product will perform, the demonstration must be presented accurately and any material conditions or limitations should be clearly disclosed.

Accordingly, NAD recommended that HiSmile discontinue the use of its egg test as a product demonstration, or modify it to:

• Avoid equating the egg and staining elements to stains on teeth; and
• Make clear the material aspects of the test including the dipping time and the staining factors used.

As to HiSmile’s product demonstrations on other items such as a banana, NAD recommended they be discontinued or modified to:

• Avoid conveying the message that the demonstrations depict the whitening power of HiSmile’s products; and
• Make clear that demonstrations on objects that are not similar to teeth only demonstrate the mechanism of administration.

Material Connection Disclosures

In addition, Oral Essentials challenged product demonstrations and endorsements appearing on social media where it maintained the material connection between the endorser and HiSmile was not fully disclosed.

While HiSmile committed to using standard disclosures provided by social media platforms, FTC guidance cautions marketers against relying on the platform-provided disclosure if it is not clear and conspicuous. NAD has previously found that an “includes paid promotion” platform-provided disclosure is not clear and conspicuous.

Accordingly, NAD recommended that HiSmile modify any video endorsement to include a material connection disclosure that is clear and conspicuous in audio and video, keeping in mind that clear and conspicuous means unavoidable or difficult to miss.

During the proceeding, HiSmile permanently discontinued certain claims for its PAP+ Whitening Pen, PAP+ Whitening Strips, and tooth concealers. Therefore, NAD did not review these claims on their merits and will treat the claims, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended they be discontinued.

HiSmile did not provide an advertiser statement confirming it will comply with all of NAD’s recommendations. Per NAD/NARB Procedures, NAD has referred this matter to the FTC and other regulatory authorities for review and possible enforcement action. NAD will also refer this matter to platforms on which HiSmile’s advertising appeared.

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. This press release shall not be used for advertising or 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 a dozen 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 a fairer playing field 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 of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. The National Advertising Division reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.

New York, NY – August 29, 2024 – BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division has referred advertising claims made by HiSmile PTY for its toothbrushes to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other regulatory authorities for review after HiSmile declined to participate in the industry self-regulation process.

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), manufacturer of competitor Oral-B brand power toothbrushes, challenged claims made by HiSmile in two videos posted by the company on TikTok. In the videos, HiSmile made unsupported comparative efficacy claims and claims that falsely disparaged its Oral-B power toothbrushes including:

• “[other brushes have] 1 million useless extras that you don’t need”
• “You’re not going to hear about rotations on [our] brush head,”
• “[HiSmile] is here to replace your dodgy electric toothbrush”
• “You don’t need the features from the big boy brands…selling you like a used car salesman for features you don’t need”

While HiSmile advised the National Advertising Division (NAD) that one of the TikTok videos had been taken down, the other video remains on the platform and HiSmile has not represented that the claims at issue had been permanently discontinued.

As HiSmile decided not to participate in the NAD self-regulatory process concerning these claims, NAD will refer the matter to the FTC and other regulatory authorities for review and possible enforcement action.

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. This press release shall not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. NAD will also refer this matter to platforms on which HiSmile’s advertising appeared.

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 a dozen 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 a fairer playing field 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 leveling the playing field for business.  

August 22, 2024 – Enterval Analytics, LLC, a leading student loan analytics company, today released the 22nd edition of its semi-annual Private Student Loan Report. The latest Report offers detailed data and analytics on the US private student in-school lending market, highlighting current private student loan performance, and comparing it to pre-pandemic 3-year averages. The Report underscores that a majority of borrowers continue to responsibly manage their private student loans.

At the end of Q1 2024, early-stage delinquency remained steady at 3.02%, while late-stage delinquencies were 1.61%. Annualized gross charge-offs were 2.56%. The 3-year average for the pre-pandemic timeframe of 2017 to 2019 were 2.57%, 1.57%, and 2.04%, respectively. At the end of Q1 2024, 75.91% of private student loan borrowers were in repayment, which is slightly more than the three-year pre-pandemic average of 75.46%.

“Private student loan borrowers continue to demonstrate responsible repayment management,” explains John Falb, CEO of Enterval Analytics. “The pandemic introduced unique private student loan origination and repayment trends, but the data confirms market performance is normalizing.”

The Report represents data contributed by thirteen private lenders, who collectively account for over 70% of the active in-school private student loan lender market. Report contributors originated $8.92B in private student loans during the first three quarters of academic year 2023/24. In addition to being fully underwritten to assess creditworthiness and ability to repay, private student loans are school certified with 90.40% of loans being cosigned.

Based on the latest available federal student loan data, approximately 92.37% or $1.6 trillion of the loans today are made by the federal government; the remaining 7.61% or $133.43 billion of the student loan market as of Q3 2024 are private student loans. Undergraduate loans account for 90.70% of the outstanding private student loan portfolio.

The full Private Student Loan Report is available for download at https://www.enterval.com/#reports.

The bi-annual Report includes continuous contributions from the five largest student loan lenders and holders: Citizens Bank, N.A., College Ave, Navient, PNC Bank, N.A., and Sallie Mae Bank. In addition, the report includes data from eight other student lender contributors.

About Enterval Analytics

Enterval Analytics was formed to provide industry leading research, tools, and insights for the private student loan market. In 2021, Enterval acquired certain reporting assets of MeasureOne and has assumed the lead in creating this report.

Enterval has a dedicated team of seasoned professionals, with specialized experience in data analysis, finance, student loan portfolio management, higher education policy, public and government relations—Enterval is uniquely positioned to deliver reporting and software tool solutions focused on the higher education space. For more information about Enterval, visit www.enterval.com.