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The Center for Science in the Public Interest says they are.
The Washington-based consumer advocacy group threatened to file a lawsuit
against McDonald's Tuesday, charging that the fast food chain "unfairly and
deceptively" markets the toys to children.
"McDonald's marketing has the effect of conscripting America's children into
an unpaid drone army of word-of-mouth marketers, causing them to nag their
parents to bring them to McDonald's," CSPI's Stephen Gardner wrote to the
heads of the chain in a letter announcing the lawsuit.
The center, which has filed dozens of lawsuits against food companies in
recent years, is hoping the publicity and the threat of a lawsuit will force
McDonald's to negotiate with them on the issue. The group announced the
lawsuit in the letter to McDonald's 30 days before filing it with the hope
that the company will agree to stop selling the toys before a suit is filed.
McDonald's Vice President of Communications, William Whitman, said in a
statement that the company "couldn't disagree more" with CSPI's assertion
that their toys violate any laws. He said McDonald's restaurants offer more
variety than they ever have and Happy Meals are made smaller for kids.
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