Is Scrolling the New Smoking?

Is Scrolling the New Smoking?

January 21, 2026

Is Scrolling the New Smoking?

By: Lauren Scribner

In the final weeks of 2025, New York passed a law requiring social media platforms with “certain predatory features” to display warning labels about “the dangerous impact” those features pose to the mental health of users under the age of eighteen.[1] These so-called “predatory features” include continuous and infinite scrolling, displaying addictive feeds, and automatically playing video content.[2]  Warning labels will be displayed upon the initial use of the “predatory feature” and “periodically thereafter, based on continued use.”[3] Users will not have an option to bypass or skip the warnings. In support of the new measure, New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated, “[w]ith the amount of information that can be shared online, it is essential that we prioritize mental health…

Read More about Is Scrolling the New Smoking?

Influencer Liability: Will New-Age Litigation Net Celebrity Spokespeople?

December 12, 2025

Influencer Liability: Will New-Age Litigation Net Celebrity Spokespeople?

By: Lauren Scribner

The “influencer economy,” in which so-called “content creators” share user-generated content such as livestreams or short-form film, is showing no signs of slowing down.  Currently valued north of $250 billion, it is projected to reach nearly $500 billion by 2027.[1] “Creators earn income primarily through direct branding deals to pitch products as an influencer; via a share of advertising revenues with the host platform; and…

Read More about Influencer Liability: Will New-Age Litigation Net Celebrity Spokespeople?

The SEC Signs on to Arbitration

September 29, 2025

The SEC Signs on to Arbitration

By: George Calhoun

Early last week, on September 17, 2025, the SEC announced that it will no longer consider the presence of a mandatory arbitration provision in a company’s charter or bylaws when deciding whether to accelerate the effectiveness of a registration statement.  This policy shift will permit companies to include arbitration clauses in their governing documents to require securities litigants (including class action plaintiffs) to pursue their…

Read More about The SEC Signs on to Arbitration

Should FTC Protect Gamers Against Unhappy Endings?

May 22, 2012

Should FTC Protect Gamers Against Unhappy Endings?

By: Steven Eichorn

Whether you or not you are an avid gamer, you have probably realized that a significant segment of the general population takes gaming quite seriously. Probably a little too seriously sometimes. It seems that the ending to the popular game Mass Effect 3 (“ME3”), which is produced by BioWare, disappointed many devoted players so much that they filed a petition with the FTC for deceptive…

Read More about Should FTC Protect Gamers Against Unhappy Endings?

In Nutella Advertising Case, Whom Is the System Protecting?

May 13, 2012

In Nutella Advertising Case, Whom Is the System Protecting?

By: Nicole Kardell

The world is full of surprises, like the fact that Nutella chocolate spread is loaded with saturated fat and sugar and is not itself healthy. Ferrero USA, Inc., the company that makes Nutella, learned the hard way that many American parents could not survive (nor perhaps could their children) without the aid and intervention of Captain Obvious. And so, following a recent settlement agreement with…

Read More about In Nutella Advertising Case, Whom Is the System Protecting?

FTC Obtains Injunction, Asset Freeze on Alleged Mortgage Scam

April 2, 2012

FTC Obtains Injunction, Asset Freeze on Alleged Mortgage Scam

By: Steven Eichorn

The Federal Trade Commission has obtained an order from the federal court for the Central District of California for a preliminary injunction and asset freeze against all the defendants in an alleged mortgage modification scam. The complaint was filed against California-based Sameer Lakhany and a number of related corporate entities for violating the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule, now…

Read More about FTC Obtains Injunction, Asset Freeze on Alleged Mortgage Scam

Identity Theft Continues to Top FTC’s List of Consumer Complaints

March 26, 2012

Identity Theft Continues to Top FTC’s List of Consumer Complaints

By: Ifrah Law

For more than a decade, the Federal Trade Commission has been releasing its list of the top ten categories of consumer complaints received by the agency in the previous year. This list always serves as a good indication of the areas toward which the FTC may choose to direct its resources and increase its scrutiny. For the 12th year in a row, identity theft was…

Read More about Identity Theft Continues to Top FTC’s List of Consumer Complaints

How Zappos Defused a Potential Online Privacy Crisis

March 23, 2012

How Zappos Defused a Potential Online Privacy Crisis

By: Ifrah Law

When hackers breached the computer systems of online retailer Zappos.com in January, they gained access to the personal information of up to 24 million customers. The information included customer names, billing and shipping addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. In a predictable response, customers immediately filed federal class action lawsuits against Zappos, and the attorneys general of nine states sent a joint letter to the…

Read More about How Zappos Defused a Potential Online Privacy Crisis

Articles and Presentations by Our Firm Attorneys

Is Scrolling the New Smoking?

Is Scrolling the New Smoking?
By: Lauren Scribner

Influencer Liability: Will New-Age Litigation Net Celebrity Spokespeople?

Influencer Liability: Will New-Age Litigation Net Celebrity Spokespeople?
By: Lauren Scribner

The SEC Signs on to Arbitration

The SEC Signs on to Arbitration
By: George Calhoun

Subscribe to Ifrah Law’s Insights