Advertising
Flashy Storefront Gun Ads Are Protected by the First Amendment, Says California Judge
Sen. Kamala Harris tried to limit the storefront speech of firearms sellers as California attorney general.
The Senate Accused Them of Selling Kids for Sex. The FBI Raided Their Homes. Backpage.com's Founders Speak for the First Time.
An inside look at how indie media veterans James Larkin and Michael Lacey became the targets of a federal witchhunt.
Surprise! The Ban on Digital Sex Ads Didn't Work
Plus: digital privacy concerns down 11 percent since 2015
This Is Your Hand on Opioids: Trump's 'Very Bad Commercials' Rely on Dishonest and Pernicious Scare Tactics
The anti-drug ads exaggerate the risk of addiction and falsely portray pain treatment as a highway to hell.
Bureaucrats Shut Down Your Kids' Lemonade Stands? Country Time Will Pay the Fines.
A summer promotion will cover fines and fees when your local code enforcers come calling.
Google to Purge Ads for Bail Bond Services
Company throws weight behind reformers who want to end the practice of jailing people who cannot afford to pay.
This is Your Brain Thinking About the Drug War
Trump wants to spend "a lot of money" on a new round of anti-drug commercials.
Why You Shouldn't Want Congress To Regulate Facebook & Other Social Media
We need to up our media literacy game, not delegate responsibility to politicians who have no idea what they're doing.
New Backpage Ruling Lays Bare Some of the Lies Undergirding FOSTA
The ruling allows a civil suit against Backpage to proceed for one of the case's three plaintiffs.
Rand Paul Threatens to Filibuster Trump's CIA Pick, Because Torture: Podcast
Plus: Facebook goes after Trump's social media firm, and Trump tiptoes toward a trade war.
Cambridge Analytica Was Doing Marketing, Not Black Magic
There's no reason for alarm (yet) over a Facebook data "breach" that benefited a firm with ties to Trump's campaign.
House Passes 'Anti Sex-Trafficking' Bill Opposed by Both DOJ and Trafficking Survivors
The bill makes "promoting prostitution" a federal crime, holds websites legally liable for user-posted content, and lets states retroactively prosecute offenders.
Behold the Work of Russia's Evil Advertising Geniuses
Satan is on Clinton's side, and check out this coloring book featuring a buff Bernie Sanders!
Should Lawmakers Care How Much Fish Is in a Sustainable Fish Finger?
Choose education over regulation when food companies abuse terms like "local" and "sustainable."
Politicians—Unsurprisingly—Want to Regulate Political Ads on Facebook
Russian panic is the excuse to try to control online speech.
California Demands Money from Gatorade to Protect Water from Slander
Silly mobile game pisses off nannies, costs company $300,000.
Too Many Calories in Your Candy? That's a Lawsuit!
Legal threats over food marketing appear to be on the rise. But who really benefits?
They Won't Stop at Backpage
The "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act" would not stop sexual exploitation. But it could blow up the legal framework that supports the internet as we know it.
California Wants to Stop Pot Dispensaries from Branding Merchandise
The nanny state comes after swag.
Momentum Building to Cast Off USDA Checkoff Marketing Programs
Two lawsuits and action in Congress indicate wasteful, unconstitutional mandates may be on their way out.
The Disgruntled D.C. Resident in That Anti-Airbnb Ad Isn't Who She Says She Is
"I'm tired of feeling like an outsider in my own neighborhood," she says. Maybe that's because she's an actress from New York.
First Amendment Lawyers Ask New Calif. Attorney General to Drop 'Abusive' Crusade Against Backpage and User-Info Dragnet
A subpoena calls for copies of all Backpage ads posted over several years, all billing records, and the identities of all of the website's users.
Trump Ads Were More Policy-Focused, Less Negative Than Clinton's 2016 Election Ads, Find Wesleyan Researchers
"Clinton's message was devoid of policy discussions in a way not seen in the previous four presidential contests."
10 Ridiculous Recent Food-Marketing Lawsuits
And why these class-action endeavors are on the rise. (Hint: it's not consumer protection.)
Super Bowl Revival of Bud Light Pitchdog Spuds MacKenzie Prompts Death Threat
Anti-alcohol activists are haunted by the ghost of the original party animal.
Director of Anti-Sex Trafficking Doc I Am Jane Doe Doesn't Understand the Laws She's Trying to Reform
Watch Elizabeth Nolan Brown discuss the film with director Mary Mazzio, who aims to overhaul Backpage and federal law in the name of sex-trafficked teens.
Backpage Backed Into Corner Over Adult Ads. Is Government's Goal a Goodbye to Sex Trafficking, or Free Speech?
As Congress puts Backpage on trial, Section 230 is the big fish in this barrel of red herrings.
Backpage Shutters 'Adult' Ads Section Following Years of Government Bullying
"It's a sad day for America's children victimized by prostitution," said victims services advocate Lois Lee.
Backpage Leaders Beat Pimping Charges as Court Affirms Importance of Immunity for Web Publishers of Third-Party Speech
"Congress has spoken on this matter and it is for Congress, not this Court, to revisit."
Judge Says Backpage Protected by First Amendment, Rejects Pimping Charges for CEO… Then Backtracks a Few Hours Later
"Congress has spoken on this matter and it is for Congress, not this court, to revisit." Except for maybe later this afternoon...
Porn Site Offers Tits for Votes in Clever Marketing Gimmick—Thanks, First Amendment!
CamSoda is offering voters free site credits if they snap a selfie at the polls and post it to social media.
'This Is Your Brain on Drugs' Guy Supports Marijuana Legalization
John Roselius, who famously warned that drugs would fry your brain like an egg, says he has changed his mind about pot.
Former Backpage.com Heads Say Pimping Charges Motivated by Politics, Not Facts
"Make no mistake; Kamala Harris has won all that she was looking to win when she had us arrested."
Here's How Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer Supposedly Profited From Child Sex Trafficking
Behold, 12 things the state of California considers sex trafficking that are totally not
SCOTUS Won't Hear Illinois Sheriff's Appeal of Order to Stop Threatening Credit Card Companies for Working With Backpage
Visa and Mastercard had ceased serving the site under threat of sanction from the Illinois sheriff.
The Haunted House That Guns Built
Did a marketing campaign trick Americans into loving firearms?
Philly Can't Turn Entire Airport Into Emotional Safe Space, Say Judges In NAACP-Ad Case
The NAACP just won a years-long First-Amendment fight with the city of Philadelphia.
Friday A/V Club: A Vintage Anti-Hippie Film Strip
A fever-dream film strip from 1967 calls the counterculture a communist/capitalist plot.
Happy 4th: These Vintage Ads for Capitalism Will Make You Proud to Be an American
Enjoy some pro-market propaganda from the 1950s
Is the ACLU's Lawsuit Against Bad Anti-Hacking Law Ingenious or Terrifying?
Ending federal prosecution over violations of vague 'terms of service' rules may come at a cost.
Yes, Blue Moon Is Brewed by the Second-Biggest Beer Company In America. It Can Still Be a 'Craft Beer'
A federal court finds Belgian-style witbier Blue Moon is not deceptively advertised as a craft beer.
London Protects Its Citizens From Onslaught of Beautiful People
Saving young folks from hurt feelings warrants wide-scale censorship efforts in London.
As the 'Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act' Turns One, Lawmakers Demand DOJ Get Tougher on Ad Platforms and Sex Buyers
Federal legislators are calling on Justice Department to be more proactive about using the 2015 sex-trafficking law.
Why Vape? E-Cig Companies Are Not Allowed to Say.
The FDA is suppressing potentially lifesaving information about the health advantages of e-cigarettes.
