A consumer group is questioning the legality of advertisements for medical devices that appear on YouTube, sparking a debate as to whether laws for TV advertising carry over to internet video.

The group, Prescription Project, alleges that videos from Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic Inc. and Stryker Corp. do not mention the risks of their products, according to the Associated Press. The Food and Drug Administration requires television ads to mention the risks, and Prescription Project has petitioned the FDA to issue regulations specifying that online ads are subject to the same rules.

"The videos raise serious questions about whether drug and device companies are using the internet to skirt laws that safeguard consumers," said Allan Coukell, the Prescription Project's director of policy.

One of the ads, for Medtronic's Prestige artificial spine disk, was uploaded by a third party, according to the company, and has been removed.