The US Federal Trade Commission has fined accessiBe, a startup that claims to make websites more compatible with screen readers that blind people rely on to access the internet, for false advertising and compensating reviewers without disclosing that they sponsored the reviews. In the proposed order, the FTC would require accessiBe to pay $1 million that could be used to reimburse the company’s customers, and prohibit accessiBe from exceeding the tool’s capabilities. The order also mandates that accessiBe “clearly and clearly” highlight the connection to the service provider. “Companies looking for help building websites [accessibility] subject must be able to believe that the product does what is advertised,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s consumer protection bureau, said in a statement. “Extending the product’s capabilities … without adequate evidence is a lie, and the FTC will take action to stop it.” AccessiBe that based in New York sells AI-powered plug-ins that can make any website conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a set of technical criteria used to assess website accessibility.The company provides services as shield against lawsuits for not complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal civil rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination. Founded in 2018 by entrepreneurs Dekel Skoop, Gal Vizel, and Shir Ekerling, accessiBe has raised $58.5 million in venture capital. million from investors, including Los Angeles-based private equity firm K1.At one point, accessiBe’s customers included Pillsbury, Benadryl, the Los Angeles Lakers, and government agencies like the Louisiana Department of Health. But many advocacy groups and customers say the accessiBe product doesn’t work. Tools like accessiBe can prevent screen reader applications used by blind and visually impaired users, who read aloud what’s on a website, from reading pages properly – and even make some web pages unnavigable. Customers have sued accessiBe in a class action lawsuit, alleging that the company’s products failed to make their websites compliant with ADA standards. During its 2021 convention, the National Federation of the Blind described accessiBe’s marketing and business practices as “disrespectful and misleading.” That same year, 400 blind people, accessibility advocates, and software developers signed an open letter demanding that companies using automated services like accessiBe should stop. By 2021, more than 400 companies that have accessibility widgets or overlays on their websites are being sued over accessibility, according to digital accessibility provider UsableNet. AccessiBe is not the only vendor that sells automated accessibility tools for websites. But it has been accused of adopting a “defensive” style, dismissive engagement with the accessibility community – and making lofty claims. According to the FTC, accessiBe not only failed to make promises to clients, but engaged in misleading marketing. accessiBe’s “deceptively formatted third-party articles and reviews” appear as if they are independent opinions by unbiased authors, the agency said in a press release, and fail to disclose “material links” to reviewers deemed objective. The FTC’s order, which was unanimously approved by the FTC’s five commissioners, will be subject to public comment for 30 days, after which the Commission will decide whether to make it final. TechCrunch has an AI-focused newsletter! Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Wednesday.
