WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized a consent order against accessiBe Inc. and accessiBe Ltd., resolving allegations that the companies made deceptive claims about their web accessibility product. The decision includes a $1 million penalty and new restrictions on the company’s future advertising practices.
The FTC’s original complaint, issued in January 2025, contended that accessiBe’s plug-in, accessWidget, falsely claimed to make websites compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The Commission deemed these claims “false, misleading, or unsubstantiated.” The complaint also highlighted accessiBe’s attempts to manipulate public perception by disguising promotional third-party reviews as independent and impartial opinions, neglecting to disclose its connections to those endorsements.
Under the final order approved by a unanimous 3-0 vote, accessiBe is banned from claiming that its automated technology can guarantee WCAG compliance or maintain ongoing compliance without substantive proof. Additionally, the company is prohibited from misrepresenting the nature of endorsements or reviews as impartial evaluations by independent entities. The order specifically forbids accessiBe from misrepresenting that:
- Reviews, blog posts, or articles about their products are independent opinions;
- Endorsers are unbiased users or independent organizations providing objective assessments of their automation tools.
FTC commissioners also extended letters to individuals and organizations that submitted comments during the public feedback period, further underscoring the case’s broader implications.
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