Recently, we wrote about new faces at the FTC, which, for the first time in its history, has five new Commissioners in a calendar year. This unprecedented change has cast some uncertainty on how the FTC will approach consumer protection enforcement. Recent actions by the Commission, however, indicate that despite new leadership, the Commission’s focus will be largely unchanged. Unsubstantiated health claims and unauthorized billing appear to remain high on the FTC’s list of priorities.

Last week, the FTC won a preliminary injunction from the Central District of California regarding the sale of oral dissolvable film strips promising smoking-cessation, weight loss, and enhanced sexual performance—all past favorites of the FTC. The advertisements for all three products made objective claims concerning performance such as the “88% Success Rate” of the smoking-cessation product or the promise that you can “lose 10, 20, even 100 pounds without giving up your favorite foods or adding any exercise.” The FTC alleged these claims were false, misleading, or unsubstantiated. The FTC also challenged alleged phony testimonials and threw in a false “Made In The USA” claim.

In addition to the product claims, the Commission also alleged that the defendants allegedly charged consumers without their knowledge or consent through an automatic renewal plan violating the FTC Act, ROSCA, and EFTA. Automatic renewal or negative option plans have frequently been the subject of enforcement by the FTC as well as several states in recent years. It does not appear that the new Commission will be changing course.

Finally, the FTC also alleged that the defendants violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule by sending prerecorded outbound calls to induce the sale of their products. So, while there might be new faces at the top of the FTC, it appears that for many marketers, it’s business as usual.