BBB Code of Advertising Updated After 30 Years

The Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) recently announced updates to its Code of Advertising to reflect the new technological avenues in which advertisers can now reach consumers. The Code of Advertising, which was initially developed in the 1970s to provide guidance to 112 BBB chapters across the United States and Canada for reviewing advertising claims made by businesses across North America, was last updated in 1985. While the core tenets of the Code remain unchanged (e.g., advertisers are still required to possess a reasonable basis for their claims before they are made), the 2015 amendments include several notable updates, including those discussed in more detail below.