FTCWatch
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October 15, 2024
When civil action fails to deter, FTC calls in consumer crime unit
A Federal Trade Commission lawsuit wasn’t enough to stop one California man from his multimillion-dollar deception, neither was a court holding him in contempt, or the millions the commission recovered for consumers who were defrauded.
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October 15, 2024
Scrutiny of AI tenant screening grows as consumer advocates file suit
A new lawsuit alleging RentGrow’s services violate Washington, DC, consumer protection laws marks the latest attempt to rein in the tenant screening industry, one that’s facing mounting scrutiny from consumer advocates and regulators over its use of unregulated information.
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October 15, 2024
FTC’s probe of utilities caused monumental changes in government
This is the second in a series of articles marking the 110th anniversary of the Federal Trade Commission’s founding.
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October 15, 2024
People — Silton gets AAI award
Heidi Silton, a veteran plaintiff litigator, will receive the American Antitrust Institute’s Hollis Salzman Memorial Leadership Award.
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October 01, 2024
Calendar
Oct. 16 — The Consumer Technology Association is hosting a fireside chat with Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. It will be held at 4 p.m. at CTA Innovation House in Washington, DC. For more information, go to: https://web.cvent.com/event/f55bc700-f2f4-4620-867f-bfd555c4f792/regProcessStep1.
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October 01, 2024
FTC withdraws from recent merger-related MOU with agencies
The Federal Trade Commission was one of four federal agencies to sign on this summer to a memorandum of understanding to facilitate information sharing during merger investigations. That agreement is likely down to three.
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October 01, 2024
FTC staff votes to unionize
More than 800 attorneys, economists, statisticians, investigators and other professional staff at the Federal Trade Commission have voted to unionize and form a bargaining unit under the National Treasury Employees Union, according to a memo sent Friday by FTC Chair Lina Khan.
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October 01, 2024
Nationwide landlord that hid fees settles with FTC
Hidden fees, poor inspections, and unfairly retained security deposits — these were just some of the problems renters faced, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint against Invitation Homes, America’s largest landlord of single-family homes.
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October 01, 2024
Lawmakers debate proper scope of FTC’s powers
Congressional Republicans and Democrats are engaged in a tug-of-war over the powers of the Federal Trade Commission, and neither side is likely to break the stalemate soon.
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October 01, 2024
Accused of investment scheme, BRG settles with government
Business Revolution Group has agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over its alleged scheme targeting consumers looking to build their own businesses.
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October 01, 2024
‘Pig butchering’ scams on feds’ radar
Your local meat market is not the likely culprit behind a “pig butchering” scam, a fraud that has cost some individuals hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years and put government agencies at work on prevention.
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October 01, 2024
GameStop CEO fined $1 million over Wells Fargo stock purchase
Ryan Cohen, chief executive officer of GameStop, agreed to pay a $985,320 penalty to settle charges that his acquisition of Wells Fargo & Co. shares violated antitrust law.
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October 01, 2024
People — Former FTC attorney leaves Amazon to join Weil
The attorney who led Amazon’s strategy through major mergers and acquisitions the last several years got her start in the antitrust field dealing with power washers. Now, she’s leaving the global technology giant to join a law firm in Washington, DC.
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October 01, 2024
DOJ withdraws from 1995 bank merger guidelines
The Department of Justice announced its withdrawal from the 1995 bank merger guidelines, emphasizing that the 2023 merger guidelines “remain its sole and authoritative statement across all industries.”
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October 01, 2024
FTC eyes adoption middlemen, sends out 31 warning letters
Those facilitating adoptions beware. The Federal Trade Commission is reaching out to ensure that truth is part of the process when a child goes from one family to another with the aid of an intermediary.
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October 01, 2024
DOJ, FTC continue their push to reframe discussion, regulation of antitrust
President Joe Biden’s share of the limelight has declined as his term draws to a close, but his high-profile enforcers haven’t slowed their efforts to make a lasting mark by shifting the concepts and language of antitrust in lawsuits and beyond.
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October 01, 2024
Trump plan to review government operations could affect FTC
Former President Donald Trump has said he wants business mogul Elon Musk to run a commission to evaluate government efficiency. The last time a non-government entity did that, it resulted in important changes at the Federal Trade Commission.
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October 01, 2024
On the Shelf: A tricky alliance
Business leaders and presidents are at best frenemies or at worst enemies.
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October 01, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: Shining a light on surveillance pricing
The Federal Trade Commission’s inquiry into personalized or “surveillance” pricing may turn out to be a fundamental game-changer for the issues of privacy and big data. It may transform these from peripheral, largely academic concerns into politically concrete issues that at long last require action from Congress.
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September 10, 2024
Congress created FTC in 1914 in push for government by experts
This is the first in a series of articles marking the 110th anniversary of the Federal Trade Commission’s founding.
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September 10, 2024
People
Dunn balances Google trial and Harris debate prep
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September 10, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: Kamala Harris’ start as an FTC intern
Politicians at even the highest level had to get their start in public service someplace. For Kamala Harris the starting point was a college internship in the press office at the Federal Trade Commission.
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September 10, 2024
Calendar
Sept. 26 — The American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section is sponsoring a panel discussion on “2024 Why Antitrust? – Antitrust and Reproductive Choice Post-Dobbs.” It will be held at 4 p.m. at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC. For more information, go to: https://events.americanbar.org/event/ABC921F2-7A04-4A72-865B-44C36985461C/summary.
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September 10, 2024
Bitcoin ATMs increasingly help scammers cash out, FTC figures show
Swelling fraud losses flowing from crypto ATMs in recent years are likely part of a staggering problem, according to a new analysis from the Federal Trade Commission.
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September 10, 2024
States a key partner in fighting social media-driven mental health crisis, Levine says
States’ laws and enforcement actions are an important piece for helping solve a mental health crisis facilitated by social media that America’s youth are facing, said Samuel Levine, the director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.