After a slower start in August, the FTC has been busy with actions taken to protect everyday consumers who have been the victims of organized schemes intended to mislead them. The FTC also announced the appointment of a new Director of the Bureau of Competition This and more, after the jump.
While the long-awaited update to the Merger Guidelines made the biggest waves in the legal news as of late, the FTC has engaged in several other activities of note, including a crackdown on robocalls, a potential update to COPPA, and cautionary letters to multiple healthcare entities. More on this, after the jump.
The FTC has remained active this summer, concluding June with two major notices of proposed rulemaking. One related to the Premerger Notification Rule from the Bureau of Competition and the other related to the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials from the Bureau of Consumer Protection. These stories and more regarding specific matter updates ranging from “Made in USA” advertising to deceptive Delta-8 THC advertising after the jump.
New considerations have emerged for advertisers who publish reviews or endorsements. On June 29, 2023, the FTC finalized its updated Endorsement Guides, which provide insights to businesses on how the use of reviews and endorsements might be considered unfair or deceptive in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act. Over the past several months, the FTC sought public comments on proposed updates to the Endorsement Guides to accurately reflect the modern landscape of advertising, which includes reliance on social media and content creators.
Continue Reading Reviews and Endorsements Say What? FTC Finalizes Updates to Endorsement Guidelines
On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission sent letters to 50 online marketplaces notifying them of their responsibility to fully comply with the new Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act – or the INFORM Consumers Act – as soon as the law takes effect on June 27, 2023.
The FTC is taking no breaks this summer with an active first half of June. The FTC released two annual reports regarding refunds and consumer finance and credit protection activity as well as initiating a request for public information on collaboration efforts with State Attorneys General. These stories and more regarding specific matter updates, ranging from false advertising to data privacy, after the jump.
This week, the FTC filed a lawsuit to block a large biopharmaceutical acquisition, launched a refund claims process for aggrieved consumers, and issued a warning that increasing use of biometric identifier technologies raises significant consumer privacy and data security concerns. These stories and more after the jump.
This week, the FTC filed a brief as Amicus Curiae in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, issued a request for information on the business practices of cloud computing providers, and proposed a “click to cancel” provision in an ongoing review of the 1973 Negative Option Rule. These stories and more after the jump.
This week, the FTC took action focused on deceptive advertising on social media platforms, for health treatments, and consumer goods. For the fourth time this year, the FTC opposed noncompete agreements imposed on workers and also introduced a proposed rule banning noncompetes. These stories and more, after the jump.
This week, the FTC extended the comment period for its proposed rule banning harmful noncompete agreements through April 19. As part of a trend in challenging this practice, the FTC struck down noncompetes that harmed low-wage security guard workers. The FTC also announced that it was sending nearly $2.4 million to consumers who were misled by a stock trading website. These stories and more after the jump.