The Federal Trade Commission is ramping up its efforts to regulate dealerships on a pair of fronts to begin 2016.

Remember what the FTC dubbed Operation Steer Clear? It was the commission’s action that punished 10 dealerships back in 2014 as part of the regulators’ nationwide sweep focusing on misleading advertising associated with the selling, financing, and leasing of vehicles.

To clarify exactly what the FTC deems to be wrongdoings by dealers and retailers in general, the agency recently issued an enforcement policy statement explaining how established consumer protection principles apply to different advertising formats, including “native” ads that look like surrounding non-advertising content.

In the Enforcement Policy Statement on Deceptively Formatted Advertisements, the FTC explained the general principles the regulators considers in determining whether any particular ad format is deceptive and violates the FTC Act.

The policy statement affirms the long-standing consumer protection principle that advertisements and promotional messages that promote the benefits and attributes of goods and services should be identifiable as advertising to consumers.

“The commission has long held the view that advertising and promotional messages that are not identifiable as advertising to consumers are deceptive if they mislead consumers into believing they are independent, impartial, or not from the sponsoring advertiser itself,” FTC officials said in the statement.

“Knowing the source of an advertisement or promotional message typically affects the weight or credibility consumers give it. Such knowledge also may influence whether and to what extent consumers choose to interact with content containing a promotional message,” they continued.

The entire statement from the FTC can be downloaded here.

FTC seeks public comment on proposed survey of consumers regarding their experiences buying & financing

In other regulatory news, the FTC is seeking public comment on a proposed qualitative survey of consumers to learn about their experiences in buying and financing vehicles at dealerships.

The regulator explained the comments will be considered before the FTC seeks clearance for the survey from the Office of Management and Budget, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.

“The FTC is committed to protecting consumers in automobile-related transactions,” officials said.

Since 2011, the agency has brought more than 25 cases in this area, including a law enforcement sweep of 10 actions against dealers for deceptive advertising, and a federal-state effort that yielded more than 200 actions for fraud, deception, and other illegal practices.

The regulator explained the survey is designed to assist the FTC by providing useful insights into consumer understanding of the purchasing and financing process at the dealership.

The FTC invites comments on whether the proposed consumer survey, which will include

— Consumer interviews and receipt of consumers’ purchase and finance documents, is necessary and useful

— The accuracy of estimates of the burden on consumers to be surveyed

— Ways to enhance the quality of the information to be collected

— Ways to minimize the burden of collecting information

More information about the FTC’s survey plans can be found here.