On March 18th President Trump fired the Federal Trade Commission’s two Democratic Commissioners, Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. The news broke when Commissioner Bedoya took to the social media site X, stating, “I am a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission. The president just illegally fired me. This is corruption plain and simple.”
The FTC announces leadership changes, keeps the 2023 Merger Guidelines, and pursues Big Tech. All this, and more, after the jump.Continue Reading FTC Updates (February 3- 21, 2025)
As Winter continues, consumers harmed by allegedly deceptive behavior see refunds and Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson takes the reins at the FTC. All this, and more, after the jump.Continue Reading FTC Updates (January 13 – January 31, 2025)
The FTC has been active in the weeks leading up to a change in administration. The Commission has ordered that companies and the individuals who run them pay refunds paid to consumers they have allegedly misled, doubled down on enforcement against companies attempting to enforce no-hire agreements, and approved revisions to thresholds under Section 7 and 8 of the Clayton Act. These stories and more, after the jump.Continue Reading FTC Updates (December 30 – January 10, 2025)
The FTC closed out the year with significant developments in rulemaking, consumer protection enforcement actions, and priority setting for the new year. From issuing the much-anticipated final Junk Fees Rule, to announcing its potential largest monetary judgment against an auto dealer, to further developing its Operation AI Comply initiative, the Commission ended 2024 on a busy note. These stories, and more, after the jump.Continue Reading FTC Updates (December 16 – December 27, 2024)
As the year concludes, the FTC has been quite busy. Not only has the upcoming leadership transition meant the FTC has been working on a variety of matters, the transition has also highlighted stark differences in the Commissioners’ perspectives on enforcement. For example, Commissioners Holyoak and Fergusons published strong dissenting statements regarding the withdrawal of the Collaboration Among Competitors guidance and the first Robinson-Patman Act matter in nearly a quarter century. All this and more –Continue Reading FTC Updates (December 9 – 13, 2024)
To kick off the last full month of the current presidential administration, the Federal Trade Commission’s activity included numerous consumer protection updates. Privacy and cybersecurity and online retailers (especially home security systems) were a focus, including announced court orders and consumer payments for shipping practices, improper use of artificial intelligence, collecting and selling consumer location data, and obtaining financing for unqualified customers. On the competition side, the FTC issued its 2024 Report on Ethanol Market Concentration and proposed a consent order for a no-hire agreement. All this and more after the jump.Continue Reading FTC Updates (December 2-6, 2024)
The FTC’s activity in the leadup to Thanksgiving and Black Friday involved, appropriately enough, numerous consumer protection updates. The agency called funeral homes, investigated smart device manufacturers’ websites, and expanded a telemarketing rule to target tech support scammers. The Commission also announced an online workshop about predatory pricing, and reached a settlement related to an AI-powered security screening system. More information on these stories after the jump.Continue Reading FTC Updates (November 18-29, 2024)
As Fall continues, the FTC reflects on 2024, reaches a proposed settlement with H&R Block, and continues to enforce consumer protection laws in the loan and telemarketing sectors. All this, and more, after the jump.Continue Reading FTC Updates (November 11-15, 2024)
The end of October brought refunds for tens of thousands of consumers harmed by deceptive credit offers and auto sales practices as well as the temporary shutdown of operations allegedly scamming millions of dollars from consumers enticed to sell goods online. All this and more after the jump.Continue Reading FTC Updates (October 28 – November 1, 2024)