FTC Orders accessiBe to Pay $1M for False Accessibility Claims
The FTC settled allegations that accessiBe misrepresented its AI-powered web accessibility tool as capable of making websites compliant with WCAG guidelines. The company also failed to disclose material connections to online reviewers who appeared to provide independent reviews.
What happened
New York-based accessiBe Inc. and accessiBe Ltd. marketed their AI-powered web accessibility software plug-in called accessWidget as capable of making any website compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a comprehensive set of technical criteria used to assess website accessibility.
The company made these claims on its website, on social media, and in articles on third-party websites formatted to look like impartial and objective reviews. accessiBe also failed to disclose its material connections to the supposedly independent reviewers.
Reported impact
Despite the company's claims, accessWidget did not make all user websites WCAG-compliant, and the claims were therefore false, misleading, or unsubstantiated in violation of the FTC Act.
Index analysis
The FTC determined that accessiBe's overstatement of its product's AI capabilities without adequate evidence constituted deceptive marketing, and that the company deceptively formatted third-party articles to appear as independent opinions while concealing undisclosed financial or promotional relationships.
Governance controls
Under the FTC order settling the complaint, accessiBe is prohibited from representing that its automated products, including accessWidget's AI, can make any website WCAG-compliant or can ensure continued compliance with WCAG over time, unless it has adequate evidence to support such claims.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.