Commercial Alert sets out its arguments in a letter to the FTC, which concentrated on the misleading use of poorly identified advertisements that are not clearly distinguishable from the results of searches. The group is concerned that consumers are not adequately informed of the possibility that an advertiser may have paid for a high ranking position in a search.
The group maintains that such marketing ploys may deceive consumers, who commonly expect high rankings to relate to the relevancy of material to their search query. In addition, the letter claims that:
"This deception is especially important because so many Americans use the internet and search engines each day to find facts and information... For many of these internet users, search engines have become both filter and gateway to learning and knowledge."
According to reports by the Associated Press, the allegations have been denied by both LookSmart and AltaVista search engines, while MSN’s responded by emphasising its commitment to providing “compelling search results that people want”.