There’s Not An App For That

If you think a phone app can cure acne, the FTC has some news for you: No, your smartphone can't heal acne.

The makers of two mobile applications claiming to treat acne have settled FTC complaints that the developers sold the apps without proof that they work as advertised. Under a proposed settlement, the sellers Acne Pwner and AcneApp -- including a dermatologist involved with AcneApp -- are prohibited from making acne treatment claims without scientific evidence, the FTC said Thursday.
"Smartphones make our lives easier in countless ways, but unfortunately when it comes to curing acne, there's no app for that," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement.
Both apps promised treatment for acne through colored lights emitted from mobile device screens. The app marketers instructed users to hold the screen next to the area of affected skin for a few minutes each day.
The cases are the first complaints the FTC has brought against makers of health-related apps in the mobile phone market.
About 3,300 people paid US$0.99 for Acne Pwner on Google's Android Marketplace and about 11,600 people paid $1.99 for AcneApp through Apple's iTunes store, according to the FTC.