Adult Friend Finder Slapped by FTC for Explicit Pop Ups   12/7/2007 - 13,438 views, 1 Comment

Under the terms of the settlement, Adult FriendFinder, which bills themselves as a “sex and swingers personal community”, must “take steps to ensure that its affiliates comply with the restriction, and end its relationship with any affiliates who do not comply.” The FTC explains that while the settlement is not an admission by Adult FriendFinder of any wrong-doing, it does have the force of a court order.

The FTC has released the following statement regarding the settlement:

“Adult-Oriented Online Social Networking Operation Settles FTC Charges; Unwitting Consumers Pelted With Sexually Graphic Pop-Ups

An operation that foisted sexually explicit online pop-up ads on unwitting consumers has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the practice violated federal law. The settlement bars the defendant from displaying sexually explicit online ads to consumers who are not seeking out sexually explicit content.

According to the FTC, AdultFriendFinder.com, which touts itself as “The World’s Largest Sex & Swingers Personal Community,” and its affiliates use pop-up ads to drive traffic to its Web sites. Some of the ads have included graphic depictions of sexual behavior, exposing consumers, including children, to sexually explicit images. Such ads were displayed to consumers who were searching online using terms such as “flowers,” “travel,” and “vacations.” In some cases, defendant’s sexually explicit ads were distributed using spyware and adware.

The agency alleged that the practice of displaying graphic pop-up ads without consumer consent was unfair, and violated the FTC Act.

The settlement bars the defendant from displaying sexually explicit ads to consumers unless the consumers are actively seeking out sexually explicit content or unless the consumers have consented to viewing sexually explicit content. It requires the defendant to take steps to ensure that its affiliates comply with the restriction, and end its relationship with any affiliates who do not comply. It also requires the defendant to establish an Internet-based mechanism for consumers to submit complaints. Finally, the settlement contains bookkeeping and record-keeping requirements to allow the Commission to monitor compliance.”