LabMD litigation against FTC lingers
Although the Federal Trade Commission won its effort to quash a lawsuit over its probe of LabMD, the now-defunct medical laboratory is still trying to sue three agency employees.
The pushback on convenience, resort and junk fees
Unexpected, surreptitious fees in retail transactions — additions like “convenience fees” and “resort fees” — have proliferated wildly over the past 30 years. When they aren’t clearly disclosed at the start of a transaction, their omission can deceive consumers and distort the purchase decision....
Current Issue: 1022
FTC finds novel ways to seek redress while waiting for lawmakers
A Supreme Court decision and indecision by Congress are spurring creativity at the Federal Trade Commission.
Commercial surveillance rule anticipated
A potentially years-long privacy rulemaking effort is set to get underway this year, but only about a dozen words of the Federal Trade Commission’s commercial surveillance rule are known.
Privacy Corner: Meet DuckDuckGo’s public policy manager, Katie McInnis
DuckDuckGo’s public policy manager wants the Federal Trade Commission to do more to curb dark patterns, those web elements that trick consumers into an online ecosystem that assails their privacy...
Protect children from ‘toxic’ online content, lawmakers tell FTC
The Federal Trade Commission isn’t doing enough to protect children from the excesses of algorithms and virtual reality. That’s the message coming from three senators and two House members who have...
On the Shelf: Roosevelt memoir recounts antitrust work as part of broader legacy
Theodore Roosevelt was a great president who almost single-handedly broke up some of the biggest trusts. Just ask him. Since you can’t do that, you can do the next best thing, and read his 1913...
As FTC reviews new horse racing rules, hurdles remain
The Federal Trade Commission is reviewing three proposed rules concerning horse racing, an area of enforcement authority outside the agency’s traditional ambit of competition and consumer protection.