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’s past two weeks focused on privacy and cybersecurity as well as the Bureau of Consumer Protection successfully wrapping up multiple cases regarding various forms of unfair or deceptive acts or practices. The FTC launched its third action against Meta regarding user privacy issues. In addition, the FTC is seeking comments on a number of topics ranging from cloud computing to recycling. More on this, after the jump.
The FTC is back to business after officials attended the annual ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting held in Washington, DC. Standing on the fundamental principles of antitrust, the FTC has issued orders protecting competition in the market of innovative cancer technology. The FTC has also been busy on the consumer protection front, issuing a flurry of orders, remarks, and letters regarding review hijacking, robocalls, right to repair, chargeback deception, franchise agreements, and online marketing. In addition, Commissioners Khan and Bedoya gave speeches about hot topics in competition, and the Supreme Court issued a decision making it easier to challenge the constitutionality of agency proceedings. These stories and more after the jump.
Valentine’s Day at the FTC was marked by the Commission’s breakup with one of its longtime Commissioners, who abruptly announced her retirement in a splashy op-ed that garnered significant media attention. The agency also announced a new Office of Technology and proposed consent orders related to “review hijacking” and robocalls. These stories and more after the jump.
Continue Reading FTC Updates (February 6 – February 17, 2023)
It’s rulemaking week at the FTC, particularly within the Bureau of Consumer Protection. The agency announced multiple Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemaking for public comment in connection with its October 20, 2022 Open Commission meeting. These Notices and other FTC reports this week touch on fake reviews, illegal fees, protecting older consumers, right-to-repair issues, energy costs, and even funeral services. FTC Commissioners issued a joint statement responding to allegations that its staff traded stocks and funds more than those at any other major agency, while FTC Chair Lina Khan and Department of Justice Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General Johnathan Kantor met with European competition officials on regulating digital markets. These stories and more after the jump.
The FTC has been pounding the pavement this week, giving testimony, statements, and remarks to multiple types of audiences, including the U.S. Senate. More on these talks, as well as an update on a forthcoming event on protecting children from digital advertising, after the jump.
With the end of the fiscal year approaching, the FTC has been busy issuing multiple reports, plans, and resolutions related to its various powers and obligations, including a report to Congress on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). This story and more after the jump.
The FTC made a big splash this week when it filed an injunction to block Meta from buying a virtual reality company, arguing that the acquisition was anticompetitive. This filing follows Chair Khan’s comments at the April 2022 Antitrust and Competition Conference focusing on mergers as an enforcement priority, and her view that agency inaction is worse than the risk of agency backlash. This story and more after the jump.
The FTC, in the week leading up to the Fourth of July holiday, took action in multiple healthcare arenas, including supplements and Ear, Nose and Throat (“ENT”) specialty products. The agency also successfully shut down a scammer who used PPP loans to sell bogus grant funding packages to minority-owned businesses in Florida. These stories and more after the jump.
The FTC had a busy week, taking multiple actions against alleged scammers and pyramid schemes in the finance and credit industries. In merger news, the agency announced a workshop on pharmaceutical mergers, and it took enforcement actions related to several mergers in a variety of industries. The FTC also issued a report showing that consumers have lost a whopping $1 billion in cryptocurrency scams since 2021. These stories and more after the jump.