Marketing rules are constantly evolving, and staying informed can help you avoid costly mistakes. Our goal is to provide educational resources that explain common marketing regulations, industry best practices, and compliance requirements in a way that’s easy to understand.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Demur Design LLC is not a law firm and does not provide legal services. While we strive to keep our content accurate and up to date, laws and regulations vary by location and may change over time. Always consult a qualified attorney or legal professional regarding your specific circumstances before making decisions based on legal or regulatory requirements.
Marketing rules & regulations touch almost every way a business promotes itself, from the ads you run to the emails you send and the data your website collects. They change constantly as new technology and new state laws arrive, which makes them hard to track. This library organizes the most important ones into five practical areas so you can find what applies to your business without reading through dense legal text.
Artificial intelligence laws govern how businesses use AI in advertising, chatbots, generated content, and customer data, and they are the fastest growing area of marketing regulation. See the full state-by-state set in our AI Laws collection.
Social media laws cover influencer disclosure, endorsement and fake-review rules, child-creator protections, and the limits on advertising to minors. Browse them under Social Media Laws.
Email and text message marketing laws, including the federal CAN-SPAM Act and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, set the consent, opt-out, and disclosure rules for every campaign you send. They live in Email Marketing Laws.
Trademark laws protect the brand names, logos, and slogans your marketing depends on, and they shape what you can safely use in comparison ads. Start with Trademark Laws.
Website laws, from ADA accessibility to privacy notices and cookie consent, apply the moment your site goes live. Review them in Website Laws.
Regulators such as the Federal Trade Commission actively enforce these rules, and the penalties are rarely small. Many are measured per violation, which multiplies quickly across an email list, a text campaign, or a run of social ads. Beyond the financial exposure, following marketing rules & regulations protects the trust you have built with your audience. A single undisclosed sponsorship, a missing privacy notice, or an inaccessible checkout page can undo months of goodwill and invite a complaint. For the federal baseline, you can review the FTC’s own business guidance.
Marketing rules and regulations are the federal and state laws that govern how businesses advertise, promote, and communicate with customers. They cover areas like AI use, social media, email and text campaigns, trademarks, and website compliance. Following them protects your business from fines and protects your customers from deception.
Most small businesses must follow FTC advertising rules, CAN-SPAM for email, the TCPA for text messages, trademark law when branding, and state privacy laws for their website. The exact rules depend on how you market and which states your customers live in. This library sorts them by category and state.
Yes. The FTC Endorsement Guides require clear disclosure whenever a material connection exists between a brand and anyone promoting it, including payment, free product, or employment. Both the business and the influencer can be held liable, so a visible label like “ad” or “sponsored” belongs in every paid post.
Yes. While some rules are federal, many marketing laws are set state by state, especially privacy, data, child-influencer, and AI laws. A campaign that is compliant in one state can violate another. Use the state filter in this library to see which laws apply where your customers live.
CAN-SPAM governs commercial email and is an opt-out law, meaning you can email until someone unsubscribes. The TCPA governs calls and text messages and is an opt-in law, requiring prior written consent before you send marketing texts. Text message marketing carries much higher per-violation penalties.
Penalties vary but are often measured per violation, which adds up fast across an email list or ad campaign. Enforcement can come from the FTC, a state attorney general, or private lawsuits. Beyond fines, violations can trigger costly class actions and damage the trust you have built with customers.
No. This library is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Demur Design is not a law firm. Laws change and vary by location, so always confirm your specific situation with a qualified attorney before making decisions based on any regulation you read here.
