The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing Sendit’s operating company and its CEO for unlawful collection of data from underage users, as well as deceptive subscription practices. The FTC referred a legal complaint to the Department of Justice against Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc., the creator of Sendit, and its CEO, Hunter Rice. According to FTC’s investigation, Sendit in 2022 had 116,000 registered users under the age of 13 from the United States. Sendit deceived users by generating fake anonymous messages, some purposefully provocative and sexual, misrepresenting their origin as if they came from friends or contacts. These deceptive practices and recurring charges constitute violations of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), the agency says.