The Federal Trade Commission, joined by the attorneys general of Utah and Nevada, has filed a new consumer-protection action against Lens.com, alleging the online contact-lens seller misrepresented prices in search advertisements and on its website over an extended period. According to regulators, the company used pricing tactics that made products appear cheaper than they actually were, a theory that puts digital advertising, checkout design, and price disclosures squarely at issue.

The case is notable not only because of the parties involved, but because it reflects continued FTC focus on “drip pricing” and other online marketing practices that can distort a consumer’s understanding of total cost.