FTC fines accessiBe $1M for misleading AI accessibility claims
The FTC fined accessiBe, an AI-powered website accessibility tool, $1 million for false advertising and undisclosed paid endorsements. The company had overstated its product's ability to make websites compliant with disability access standards, and advocacy groups reported the tool actually hindered accessibility for blind and low-vision users.
What happened
The FTC ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million for false advertising and compensating reviewers without disclosing that it sponsored the reviews.
AccessiBe sells an AI-powered plug-in that it claims can make any website compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The company marketed its services as protection against lawsuits for noncompliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Reported impact
Advocacy groups and customers reported that accessiBe's products do not work as advertised. Tools like accessiBe's can prevent screen reading applications used by blind and low-vision users from reading pages correctly and can render some web pages unnavigable.
Customers sued accessiBe in class action lawsuits alleging that the company's products failed to make their websites fully compliant with ADA standards. During its 2021 convention, the National Federation of the Blind described accessiBe's marketing and business practices as disrespectful and misleading.
Index analysis
AccessiBe overstated the capabilities of its AI tools without adequate evidence. The company compensated endorsers without clearly and conspicuously disclosing those paid relationships.
Governance controls
The FTC order prohibits accessiBe from overstating the capabilities of its tools and mandates that the company clearly and conspicuously highlight connections to endorsers of its services. The $1 million penalty may be used to refund the company's customers.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.