Engagement with the FTC: Data, Evidence, and the Proposed Earnings Claims Rule
A key federal moment came during a panel hosted by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), The FTC at the Crossroads: The Path Forward for Competition and Consumer Protection. DSA addressed the proposed earnings claims rule directly before an audience that included senior FTC leadership.
DSA emphasized three core principles:
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Misrepresentation and consumer deception are unacceptable, and DSA strongly condemns bad actors.
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Direct selling already operates with robust self-regulation, including DSSRC oversight.
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Any new rule must be guided by data, not assumptions that misrepresent how legitimate direct selling works.
DSA also pointed to the experience in Delaware with H.B. 162, where legislation built on similar assumptions nearly created broad disruption for the channel.
Responding during the session, the FTC’s Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection underscored that the agency’s decisions must be guided by facts and evidence and noted that legitimate businesses should not fear efforts to address misleading practices, all of which aligns with the direct selling channel’s self-regulatory program, the DSSRC.
This interaction affirmed DSA’s role:
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We are in the room, ensuring that the voice of ethical direct selling companies and sellers is heard at the highest levels of federal policymaking.