Lumosity creator Lumos Labs will pay $2 million in a settlement over claims it made while advertising its “brain training” program, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced.
The FTC argued that Lumosity customers were tricked into thinking that the program would delay “cognitive impairment associated with age.”
“Lumosity preyed on consumers’ fears about age-related cognitive decline, suggesting their games could stave off memory loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “But Lumosity simply did not have the science to back up its ads.”
Lumosity is comprised of 40 games that, if played for 10-15 minutes three or four times a week, could help players achieve their “full potential in every aspect of life,” according to the company.
Per the settlement, Lumos Labs must contact subscribers who signed up for an auto-renewal plan between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014 about the FTC action and allow them to cancel their subscription.