Mercer Times

TRENTON — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, along with 29 other Attorneys General, announced a settlement addressing potential consumer protection and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Endorsement Guideline violations by Baron App, which operates as Cameo. Cameo is a platform that allows users to hire celebrities for personalized video messages.

The states allege that Cameo did not provide adequate disclosures to consumers purchasing these videos for business or product endorsements and failed to issue refunds to users who mistakenly paid for the Cameo for Business feature but were unable to use it. The settlement resolves a multistate investigation into Cameo’s adherence to state consumer protection statutes and FTC Endorsement Guidelines concerning paid advertiser disclosure requirements.

“There should be clear lines to distinguish between congratulatory videos to your friends and relatives, and videos that advertise your store or business,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Moreover, pricing for anything you purchase should be clear and transparent.”

“When you pay money for a personalized service, whether it is for a relative’s birthday or to promote a business, you should know exactly what you are purchasing,” said Cari Fais, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “Your audience also needs to know that what they are viewing is truthful and not misleading.”

As part of the resolution, Cameo and the states have agreed on an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC), which includes several injunctive measures:

- Transparency and Refunds: Cameo will clearly disclose the process for initiating requests for Cameo for Business videos versus personal videos such as birthday greetings. Automated refunds or instructions for obtaining refunds will be provided if requests are rejected.

- Watermarking: All paid Cameo videos will include a watermark indicating they are paid content.

- Compliance Statements: Clear statements outlining compliance requirements with all relevant laws, including FTC Endorsement Guidelines, will be presented to both celebrities fulfilling requests and users placing them.

- Monitoring and Reporting: Programs will be established to monitor representations and disclosures of Business Cameos. Procedures will include disqualifying non-compliant users and providing mechanisms for third parties to report non-compliant content.

- Record Keeping: Records of compliance with these programs will be retained by Cameo for five years and made available upon request.

New Jersey was part of the coalition led by Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky Louisiana Michigan Minnesota Montana Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Dakota Virginia Washington Wisconsin.

The matter was managed on behalf of New Jersey by Deputy Attorney General Deepta Janardhan in the Division of Law’s Consumer Fraud Prosecution Section within the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Practice Group under Section Chief Jesse J. Sierant's supervision and Assistant Attorney General Jennifer S. Schiefelbein.