Can advertising be deceiving, yes, but must it be deceptive? No, it doesn't have to be. Deception requires some form of intent to deceive or trick someone. Adv

Can advertising be deceiving, yes, but must it be deceptive? No, it doesn't have to be. Deception requires some form of intent to deceive or trick someone. Advertisings goal is to convince someone. Some places are using deception, but I think in general, in the US, most are not, as there is a disincentive to use deception. Advertisers are very good at creating desire for something and the ftc has ruled that some techniques are considered exploitative but even exploiting those techniques isn't being deceptive about the product. For the most part, mandatory return periods and purchase protections through credit cards provide a strong disincentive for using deception in advertising. Additionally there are government protections against deception and advertising but those are typically slow to respond. Whereas mandatory return periods and credit card protections are something that can be executed immediately.