What Has the FTC Focused On In 2025?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) continues to launch new enforcement initiatives and target emerging risks across the marketplace. For businesses, understanding these priorities is not just smart, it’s essential. Here’s a breakdown of the FTC’s most significant actions and focus areas so far this year.

Deceptive Advertising & Business‑Opportunity Scams

The FTC has cracked down hard on allegedly misleading income claims and business oriented scams.

Ganadores “Get-Rich-Quick” Scam (June 2025): The FTC permanently banned the defendant from the industry for making unsubstantiated earnings claims in real estate and e-commerce programs.

AI Business Training Firm (May 2025): A company offering AI-based business training settled with the FTC after being accused of making false income promises and limiting consumer reviews, purportedly violating both the Business Opportunity Rule and the Consumer Review Fairness Act.

Student-Loan Debt Relief Scam (May 2025): The FTC obtained a $16.8 million judgment and a permanent ban against operators who falsely guaranteed loan forgiveness and impersonated Department of Education officials.

Click Profit Scam (March 2025): The FTC halted an online business opportunity that promised passive income through AI but left consumers with significant losses.

Evoke Wellness (June 2025): A $1.9 million settlement resolved allegations that the company made deceptive claims about substance-use disorder treatment through Google ads and telemarketing.

Blackstone Legal (June 2025): The FTC permanently banned this entity from engaging in phantom-debt collection, reinforcing its commitment to protecting consumers from fake debt and aggressive telemarketing.

Misleading AI Accuracy Claims

Workado, LLC (April 2025): The FTC proposed an order to stop the company from advertising its AI-detection tool’s effectiveness without substantiation, signaling a focus on AI marketing claims.

Children’s Data & Privacy

Cross-Platform Privacy Probe (June 2025): Under new Chair Andrew Ferguson, the FTC initiated enforcement against social-media platforms over alleged data collection practices targeting children under 13.

Deceptive Payment & Tech‑Support Processing

The FTC reinforces their policy that payment processors can’t act as passive conduits for fraud — they shouldmust screen clients and reject deceptiveshady business practices.

Paddle.com Settlement (June 2025): The FTC reached a $5 million settlement and permanent ban with Paddle.com for processing payments related to deceptive tech-support telemarketing. This action highlights the FTC’s continued scrutiny of payment processors that facilitate fraud.

Current FTC Actions and Guidelines

The FTC’s enforcement priorities show consideration of new technologies, emerging scams, and evolving consumer risks. Businesses are smart to invest in legal review and should:

• Monitor FTC guidance and rule changes regularly

• Review marketing, payment, and data practices for compliance

• Be ready to adapt quickly to new requirements and enforcement trends

In 2025, the FTC is laser-focused on issues such as deceptive earnings claims, AI marketing, children’s privacy, as well as subscriptions and data security. For businesses, the message is clear: staying informed and proactive is the only way to avoid costly enforcement actions and maintain consumer trust.