FTC Charges Lumosity with Deceptive Advertising

With Alzheimer’s disease in the public eye these days, a product that claims to delay age-related cognitive decline attracts a lot of attention. Lumosity is such a program, and it not only drew the attention of consumers, but also the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Your BBB® has learned in a recent FTC Press Release that the FTC charged the creators and marketers of Lumosity with “deceiving consumers with unfounded claims that Lumosity games can help users perform better at work and in school, and reduce or delay cognitive impairment associated with age and other serious health problems.”

Created by Lumos Labs, Lumosity consists of 40 programs supposedly designed to train specific areas of the brain. Advertising for the product suggested that training on the games for 10 to 15 minutes three or four times a week could help users achieve their full potential in every aspect of life. Lumosity is sold through online and mobile app subscriptions ranging from $14.95 a month to a lifetime subscription for $299.95.

In the Press Release, FTC Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Jessica Rich, stated “Lumosity preyed on consumers’ fears about age-related cognitive decline, suggesting their games could stave off memory loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease. But Lumosity simply did not have the science to back up its ads.”

Find out more about the FTC's allegations against Lumosity by clicking here.