The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday announced a proposed settlement with a website whose "military-friendly" rankings of colleges and universities allegedly promoted institutions that paid to be included.
Victory Media runs a number of magazines and websites targeting service members and their families and operates a tool and rankings to help prospective students find the right postsecondary program. But the FTC found that those publications basically functioned as paid advertisements for institutions.
Under the terms of the settlement, Victory is required to prominently disclose to readers that its rankings are paid endorsements. No financial penalty was included in the order, but each violation could result in a fine of up to $40,654.
"Service members and their families put themselves on the line every day to protect our nation," the acting FTC chairwoman, Maureen K. Ohlhausen, said in a statement. "We owe it to them to make sure that when they look to further their education, they get straight talk instead of advertising in disguise."
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/10/20/ftc-settlement-says-rankings-military-friendly-colleges-were-deceptive-promotions