Federal Trade Commission Reaches $1.5 Million Settlement with Publishing.com Over Deceptive Marketing Claims
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission has announced a proposed consent agreement requiring Publishing.com LLC and its two principals to pay $1.5 million to settle allegations of deceptive marketing practices.
The enforcement action, announced on April 13, 2026, targets the company's online self-publishing programs, AI Publishing Academy and Publishing Accelerator.
The proposed consent order is subject to a 30-day public comment period following its publication in the Federal Register before the Commission finalizes the mandate.
The proposed order restricts the defendants from making future earnings claims unless those claims are not misleading and are supported by a reasonable, substantiated basis.
It specifically prohibits the company and its operators, Christian and Rasmus Mikkelsen, from misrepresenting material facts regarding the sale of any product or service.
Furthermore, the mandate compels the company to clearly disclose all terms and conditions related to cancellation or refund policies and mandates the prompt fulfillment of any such consumer requests, and enforces strict rules regarding endorsement and marketing practices.
The company is expressly prohibited from misrepresenting consumer reviews or conditioning refunds on the provision of positive testimonials.
Going forward, the defendants must clearly disclose any material connections with endorsers, including relatives or employees, as well as any prizes, cash, or incentives provided for positive reviews.
This action forces a structural compliance shift in how Publishing.com markets its educational and coaching services.
The company must abandon unverified income claims and the use of obscured fine print to block promised refunds.
Should the consent order be finalized, any future violation of these operational mandates could result in civil penalties of up to $53,088 per infraction.
The regulatory enforcement applies directly to Publishing.com LLC, its CEO Christian Mikkelsen, and its Chief Product Officer Rasmus Mikkelsen.
The restrictions govern all future commercial conduct, product sales, and promotional communications executed by the defendants.
This action aligns with the FTC's Joint Labor Task Force to target deceptive practices impacting American workers, and the document outlines no explicit exemptions for the named parties.
