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: 857
Lawmakers raise an eyebrow at contact lens pricing
Politicians are often accused of lacking foresight.
Commissioner Wright presses for greater cost-benefit analysis
Commissioner Joshua D. Wright kicked off a recent conference on the FTC’s record on consumer protection issues by making the case for far more rigorous cost-benefit analysis before the agency...
Groups urge FTC to intervene in Google lawsuit
Five consumer privacy groups recently charged that the proposed $8.5 million class action settlement of a lawsuit charging that Google violated consumers’ privacy is “a farce,” and urged the...
Sen. Schumer calls for privacy protections for fitness devices
In the wake of rising concerns that personal fitness devices firms are selling the health information they gather from their customers to third parties, Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) has called...
FTC comments on White House big data study
FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen and Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s consumer protection bureau, have weighed in on the White House’s big data study by underscoring the long-standing role the...
Sharp debate over what deters cartel activity
So just what is the optimal level of punishment to deter corporations and their executives from engaging in price-fixing, bid-rigging and other cartel activity?