Cure for acne? There's...not really an app for that
SEATTLE -- You might not like what's happening to your skin, but don't count on your smartphone screen to solve the problem.
The Federal Trade Commission just hit the delete button on two mobile app marketers, for promoting acne cures through your phone screen. It's the first time the FTC has targeted health claims in the mobile app industry.
The two app promoters advertised a simple, powerful tool in killing the bacteria that causes acne. One, called AcneApp, promised acne therapy without risky medications. Both companies claimed their apps could cure acne using blue and red light treatments right off your smartphone screen.
One company charged 99 cents per download, the other charged $1.99.
The FTC says promoters of AcneApp, and Acne Pwner cashed in on baseless claims, and got nearly 15,000 downloads. They took in more than $26,000.
The companies have agreed to pay nearly $16,000 in fines. In settling with the feds, neither company admits doing anything illegal, but they did agree in court documents to stop making health claims that are not based on “competent and reliable scientific evidence.” That effectively stops them from selling these products.
Both companies also agreed to forfeit the money they made.
The ads for Acne Pwner sold in the Android Marketplace proclaimed: “Kill ACNE with this simple, yet powerful tool! Light exposure has long been used as a short term treatment for acne. Recently visible light has been successfully employed to treat mild to moderate acne.”
AcneApp, which was sold in the iTunes store, was created by Dr. Greg Pearson, a dermatologist in Houston. The web site for his application promised: “Acne therapy without risky medication.”
Users are instructed to activate the app and hold the screen next to the area of skin to be treated for a few minutes each day. You could even do it while talking on the phone, the ultimate in convenience. The blue light supposedly fights bacteria. The red light supposedly helps heal the skin.
Some dermatologists do use red and blue light therapy to treat acne. But in a doctor’s office the light is thousands of times stronger than what could ever be given off by a smart phone.
The Federal Trade Commission just hit the delete button on two mobile app marketers, for promoting acne cures through your phone screen. It's the first time the FTC has targeted health claims in the mobile app industry.
The two app promoters advertised a simple, powerful tool in killing the bacteria that causes acne. One, called AcneApp, promised acne therapy without risky medications. Both companies claimed their apps could cure acne using blue and red light treatments right off your smartphone screen.
One company charged 99 cents per download, the other charged $1.99.
The FTC says promoters of AcneApp, and Acne Pwner cashed in on baseless claims, and got nearly 15,000 downloads. They took in more than $26,000.
The companies have agreed to pay nearly $16,000 in fines. In settling with the feds, neither company admits doing anything illegal, but they did agree in court documents to stop making health claims that are not based on “competent and reliable scientific evidence.” That effectively stops them from selling these products.
Both companies also agreed to forfeit the money they made.
The ads for Acne Pwner sold in the Android Marketplace proclaimed: “Kill ACNE with this simple, yet powerful tool! Light exposure has long been used as a short term treatment for acne. Recently visible light has been successfully employed to treat mild to moderate acne.”
AcneApp, which was sold in the iTunes store, was created by Dr. Greg Pearson, a dermatologist in Houston. The web site for his application promised: “Acne therapy without risky medication.”
Users are instructed to activate the app and hold the screen next to the area of skin to be treated for a few minutes each day. You could even do it while talking on the phone, the ultimate in convenience. The blue light supposedly fights bacteria. The red light supposedly helps heal the skin.
Some dermatologists do use red and blue light therapy to treat acne. But in a doctor’s office the light is thousands of times stronger than what could ever be given off by a smart phone.
