FTCWatch
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February 10, 2026
Privacy Corner: Wyden fights ICE use of facial recognition tools
Senator Ron Wyden, a long-time privacy hawk, is warning against government overreach. His latest targets are Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
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February 10, 2026
Calendar
Feb. 11 — George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School is hosting a webinar on “Privacy in 2026: What Changed and What’s Next?” It will be held from noon to 1 p.m. ET. For more information, go to: https://masonlec.org/events.
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February 10, 2026
People — ‘Project 2025’ contributor steps away from FTC
A senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission for much of 2025, Jon Schweppe has left the agency to return to his former employer, the American Principles Project, a “pro-family” advocacy organization headquartered in Virginia.
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February 10, 2026
Netflix-WBD deal draws congressional ire as antitrust reforms stall
Netflix’s proposed buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery captured the attention of the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee at a hearing last week.
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February 10, 2026
Democrats query FTC chair, Pepsi CEO after dismissal of case
A pair of Democratic senators and nine of their House colleagues questioned the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and the chief executive of PepsiCo about a case the FTC dismissed against the company last year.
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February 10, 2026
Express Scripts antitrust deal includes cooperation, business changes
Express Scripts agreed to cooperate with the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing antitrust litigation against pharmacy benefit managers Caremark Rx and OptumRx and other affiliated entities as part of a settlement that also includes a revamp of ESI’s business practices.
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February 10, 2026
Senators call for investigation of market for software used by firefighters
Like the majority of those serving in fire departments across the US, Michael Goldstein is not a career firefighter, but he shares a concern with others in the profession, namely firms backed by private equity increasing prices on critical reporting software.
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February 10, 2026
Identity Theft Awareness Week offers privacy tips, tools and more
Identity Theft Awareness Week, which concluded Jan. 30, featured webinars, podcasts and a live discussion on how citizens can protect their privacy online.
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February 10, 2026
DOJ, Postal Service grant $1 million whistleblower reward
The Department of Justice and Postal Service announced a $1 million reward to a whistleblower who provided information that led to EBLOCK Corp. resolving criminal antitrust and fraud charges.
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February 10, 2026
Ferguson warns top law firms over DEI hiring
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson warned 42 elite law firms regarding potentially unfair and anticompetitive employment practices.
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February 10, 2026
On the Shelf: Duo defends capitalism while blasting antitrust
One of the problems with contemporary political discourse is the lack of nuance.
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February 10, 2026
Neil Averitt commentary: With noncompetes, yes, the FTC is serious
When any government agency announces a new program, you must ask how serious it is and how diligently it will be pursued. In the case of the Federal Trade Commission’s campaign against noncompete clauses, the answer seems to be that the agency means business.
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February 10, 2026
Data minimization emphasized as FTC considers age verification policies
As the Federal Trade Commission looks to implement potential policies to bolster the use of age verification technology, experts urge data minimization practices.
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February 10, 2026
Trump-Biden split on US noncompete enforcement offers deterrence test
Federal Trade Commission antitrust enforcers across the Biden and Trump administrations agree that employers’ pervasive use of unlawful restrictions on labor mobility are causing harm to workers, competition and consumers across the nation’s economy.
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January 27, 2026
HSR filing fees to range up to $2.46 million in 2026
The Federal Trade Commission approved new merger filing fees ranging from $35,000 to $2.46 million.
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January 27, 2026
DOJ gets guilty verdict against Florida fuel supplier
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division secured victory against the owner of Marine Oil Services. Jasen Butler was found guilty of 34 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and forgery by a federal jury in Miami.
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January 27, 2026
Calendar
Feb. 11 — George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School’s Law and Economics Center is hosting a webinar on “Privacy in 2026: What Changed and What’s Next?” It will be held from noon to 1 p.m. ET. For more information, go to: https://masonlec.org/events/privacy-in-2026-what-changed-whats-next/.
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January 27, 2026
FTC amends thresholds for interlocking directorates
The Federal Trade Commission approved revised jurisdictional thresholds for Section 8 of the Clayton Act, which prohibits interlocking directorates.
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January 27, 2026
Amazon sends notices about settlement with FTC; monopoly case continues
An outcome from an effort by the Federal Trade Commission is landing in mailboxes across the country this month.
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January 27, 2026
Grassley, others urge antitrust agencies to battle price discrimination
Lawmakers led by Senators Chuck Grassley and Mike Rounds are calling on the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to stop price discrimination, namely in the grocery and agriculture sectors.
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January 27, 2026
DOJ criminal antitrust enforcement faces growing restitution challenges
Mounting procedural obstacles for plaintiffs in class actions spell trouble for the Department of Justice’s ability to secure restitution for victims of criminal anticompetitive conduct.
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January 27, 2026
Business mogul MacNeil emerges as Trump’s newest FTC pick
Billionaire David MacNeil has been a successful entrepreneur and advocate for business interests. As President Donald Trump’s latest nominee to fill a seat on the Federal Trade Commission, he’ll be somewhat of a rarity at the agency — a member who lacks legal expertise.
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January 27, 2026
Neil Averitt commentary: State AGs and hospital deals — Who’s minding the store?
Hospital mergers are large, frequently lead to price rises and are definitively local. By rights, they should be a bread-and-butter concern of state attorneys general. But it hasn’t always worked out that way.
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January 27, 2026
FTC OIG completes probe into employee’s misconduct
A recent congressionally mandated report from the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Inspector General said the office last year investigated an agency employee for “improperly” obtaining pandemic relief funds.
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January 27, 2026
Trump antitrust leaders employ populism, humor in social media
Republican leaders at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission are championing their views via emphatic, combative and humorous posts on social media.