AccessiBe, a company that offers AI-powered web accessibility tools, has been ordered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to pay $1 million in refunds to clients who were misled about the effectiveness of its product.
The FTC’s final order, approved on April 22, mandates that accessiBe make significant changes to its business practices. For instance, it is no longer allowed to claim that its plug-in can make any website compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or ensure ongoing compliance without providing evidence for such claims.
The FTC first proposed this order back in January, alleging that accessiBe made false and misleading assertions about its accessibility widget. This led customers to believe that the fully automated tool could ensure compliance with ADA and WCAG. A class-action lawsuit filed by one of its clients in 2024 claimed that they faced legal action for having an inaccessible website despite using accessiBe’s tool.
The Truth About Accessibility Widgets
Automated accessibility widgets like those offered by accessiBe have gained popularity by promising easy, one-click fixes for website owners seeking ADA compliance. However, experts have long criticized these overlay tools for offering incomplete solutions that can actually interfere with assistive technologies, such as screen readers.
The FTC’s investigation appears to affirm these concerns while also serving as a warning to online businesses that rely on fully automated tools for web accessibility, mistakenly believing they eliminate the need for manual compliance checks.
Research has shown that these types of tools typically address only about 30% of website accessibility issues. While these AI widgets can assist with compliance, they should never replace the need for human oversight.
To effectively address ADA issues, businesses should consult accessibility experts such as EcomBack. We offer manual testing services and remediation methods that correct the underlying code, eliminating accessibility barriers.
