In July 2024, the company behind NGL, an anonymous messaging app, agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle charges that the company deceived its customers. The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, urges affected NGL customers to apply for a refund before April 6, 2026.
NGL told paid subscribers of the NGL Pro version of the app that they would pay a one-time fee, according to the FTC’s lawsuit. But the company instead charged many users a recurring weekly fee of up to $9.99 without their consent.
The NGL app is named for the text shorthand for “Not Gonna Lie.” The app claims to allow users to receive anonymous messages from friends and social media contacts. NGL pitched its app as a “fun yet safe place” for “young people” to “share their feelings without judgment from friends or societal pressures.”
For parents wary of their kids’ use of an anonymous messaging app, NGL assured them their concerns were unfounded by saying that “world class AI content moderation” enabled them to “filter out harmful language and bullying,” the FTC lawsuit said. Consumers who downloaded the app were prompted to create an account that collected a substantial amount of personal information, but NGL didn’t ask how old they were and didn’t use any form of age screening.
NGL was marketed to kids and teens. The settlement banned the company from marketing anonymous messaging apps to kids and teens.
If you paid for NGL Pro between January 2022 and July 2024 and were charged a recurring fee without authorization, you may be eligible for a refund. To apply online for a refund, visit the FTC’s NGL Settlement page at ftc.gov/ngl. You need to be 18 to apply – if you’re not, you can ask a parent or guardian to apply for you.
You need to submit your claim by April 6 to be considered.
Applying for a refund doesn’t guarantee you’ll receive one, the FTC said in a statement. The FTC will review submitted claims to confirm eligibility. Individual refund amounts will depend on the total number of eligible claims submitted, along with other factors.
If you need help with your claim, contact the FTC’s claims administrator at 800-351-7161 or info@NGLRefund.com
