In the heat of summer, the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection curbed deceptive weight-loss claims by sellers of GLP-1s, as well as debt relief scams and secret mobile data collection. The FTC also reopened and set aside a final consent order regarding Exxon Mobil’s board and management following its acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources. These stories and more, after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (July 14 – 25, 2025)
This week, the FTC is making moves on several fronts. The agency kicked off a series of listening sessions on drug pricing and competition, held a workshop on trade practices related to gender-affirming care for minors, launched “Made in the USA” month, and weighed in on merger oversight in the energy sector. The FTC is also sending refunds to consumers allegedly affected by deceptive home-improvement financing and weight-loss schemes. These stories, and more, after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (June 30 – July 11, 2025)
On July 14, 2025, the FTC announced its enforcement action against telemedicine company NextMed over charges it used misleading prices, fake reviews and deceptive weight-loss claims to sell GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. The FTC has now settled its charges that NextMed used deceptive practices to lure consumers into buying their weight-loss membership programs that had hidden terms and conditions. With the rise of both authentic and counterfeit GLP-1s throughout the nation and the proliferation of the availability of GLP-1s from telemedicine/telehealth companies, online pharmacies and medspas, this announcement is a sign that the federal government will actively monitor these entities to ensure consumers are getting genuine, authentic GLP-1s, that consumers are making informed decisions about weight-loss drugs, and that consumers are not being deceived and duped in the frenzy over GLP-1s.
Continue Reading FTC Uses Its Consumer Protection Powers to Regulate Sellers of GLP-1s
On July 8, 2025, the Eighth Circuit vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) Negative Option Rule, also known as the Click-to-Cancel Rule, on procedural grounds. The Click-to-Cancel Rule, which provided a streamlined path for consumers to cancel subscription services in a few clicks of a mouse, was scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025, but the Court found that the FTC had failed to follow mandatory procedural requirements.
Petitioners argued that the FTC had, in implementing the rule, exceeded its statutory authority, skipped a requisite preliminary regulatory analysis during the rulemaking process pursuant to Section 22 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTC Act”), and acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner under the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”) by enacting the Click-to-Cancel Rule. The Court agreed, finding that the FTC violated Section 22 of the FTC Act.
Continue Reading Eighth Circuit Cancels Click-to-Cancel
Merger consent orders have returned to the FTC, with the agency’s latest decision highlighting how the current leadership is evaluating divestiture proposals. The FTC has approved a proposed consent agreement in Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.’s (ACT) acquisition of retail fuel outlets from Giant Eagle, Inc. that paired standard retail divestitures with a “prior notice” requirement that
Just like the D.C. weather, the FTC’s docket was hot this past week. The agency (1) shared updates on settlements requiring refunds to consumers in a number of recent actions; (2) announced the reopening of its “Epic” settlement claim process; and (3) announced several new settlements the agency has reached in both the competition and consumer protection spaces; in some of these, the Commissioners issued statements, allowing readers a glimpse into the minds of the enforcers and decision makers themselves. These stories and more after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (June 23 – 27, 2025)
Scams are the theme of the week at the FTC. The agency entered into two proposed stipulations to settle allegations about deceptive schemes targeting consumers, and issued over $2 million in refunds in relation to an alleged scam dating back to the 2008 financial crisis. These stories and more after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (June 16 – 20, 2025)
The FTC is heading into summer with an active docket. The agency has been keeping its eye on enforcement, issuing warning letters to contact lens prescribers over potential violations of the agency’s Contact Lens and Eyeglass Rules. Over the next few weeks, it plans on hosting a workshop on healthcare advertising and listening sessions on prescription drug pricing and competition. These stories, and more, after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (May 26 – June 16, 2025)
Register now to join Stefan M. Meisner, Luke van Houwelingen, and Eric Fanchiang on June 4, 2025 from 12:00 pm EDT – 1:00 pm EDT as they discuss antitrust risks that can arise as companies grapple with whether and how to adjust their pricing to respond to tariffs being imposed around the world. The webinar is designed to give listeners an understanding of these potential risks, and best practices for companies to manage such risks and minimize scrutiny from antitrust regulators and potential litigants when developing their tariff responses.
Continue Reading Register Now! Antitrust Risks in A Trade War Webinar
This week, the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has been busy addressing the “Attention Economy,” false income claims, privacy and data security, and a student debt relief scam. On the competition side, the FTC enforced against raising prices for anesthesiology services. These stories, and more, after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Blog Updates May 19 – May 23, 2025