Mandatory disclaimers are government-mandated messages that describe what a product is not or does not do that sellers must include in their advertising.
Prior to the passage of the FCPA, some sellers would use unusually shaped or colored bottles to signify the presence of a dangerous substance.
Today, the FDA is the main body responsible for mandating disclaimers in the United States.
The imposition of mandatory disclaimers is an exception to the First Amendment that was allowed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Valentine v. Christensen (1942).
Experimental studies suggest that mandatory disclaimers do not help buyers and may lead them to make inferior decisions.