The FTC cracked down on bogus medical discount plans and a tech support scheme. It also participated in the G7 Competition Authorities and Policymakers’ Summit. These stories and more after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (November 6 – November 10, 2023)
As we enter November and turn our clocks back, the FTC has not slowed its enforcement efforts. The Bureau of Consumer Protection announced multiple settlements resulting in millions in consumer refunds with an apparent focus on the credit, loan, and debt collection industries. Further, the FTC released multiple annual reports including its Do Not Call Registry Data Book. This and more, after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (October 30 – November 3, 2023)
The FTC amended the Safeguards Rule to require non-banking institutions to report certain data breaches. Also, the FTC enforced actions against defendants who misleadingly marked up the cost of cars and who falsely claimed that its products could stop harmful bacteria and viruses. More on these updates, after the jump.
This week the FTC highlighted its report on the prevalence of fraudulent business practices directed at older adults. It also announced that the Agency is seeking public comment on the existing Alternative Fuels Rule. More on these actions, as well as an update on student debt related actions, after the jump.
Focusing on engagement with the public and other agencies, the FTC had its hands full last week commenting on regulations and hosting events on hot-button issues like the impact of AI on creative industries and the July 2023 Draft Merger Guidelines. More on these actions, as well as an update on student debt related actions, after the jump.
As the summer closes and fall arrives, the FTC has been busy resolving a variety of actions within both the Bureau of Consumer Protection and Bureau of Competition, related to either purported false advertising or anticompetitive mergers. This and more, after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (August 28 – September 8, 2023)
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.
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.
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.