False Advertising was First Invented by that Old Serpent
As shoppers we deal with guile and lies every day. From commercial TV ads to retail products, we (the public) have become almost immune to these lies. The following verses informs us how God views the merchants who cheat customers.
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. (Proverbs 11:1)
Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? (Micah 6:11)
He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. (Hosea 12:7)
The merchandising techniques of cheating the public by deception is so commonplace that we no longer feel its lies; from packaging to weight measurements, to placement of products on the shelf, to the little, tiny print at the bottom of a contract, to false advertising, to blatant false statistics from manufacturers, news outlets, and politicians — all is used to deceive the public.