FTCWatch
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April 02, 2024
Examining the current state of bigness
The recent antitrust case against Apple relies partly on a long-standing premise, big is often bad. But the views of bigness in competition enforcement have ebbed and flowed.
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April 02, 2024
Apple can attack market definition, evidence in monopoly suit
Apple has several available lines of defense as it confronts US government charges of illegal monopolization of smartphones.
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April 02, 2024
Dole, Chiquita call off fresh-vegetables deal over DOJ concerns
Dole and Chiquita Holdings have agreed to end their $293 million cash deal, under which Chiquita’s Fresh Express would buy Dole’s Fresh Vegetables division, because of competition hurdles with the Department of Justice.
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April 02, 2024
People
VanDruff elected managing partner of Kelley Drye
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April 02, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: Doubts on the ‘union grocery labor’ market in Kroger case
In its complaint against the Kroger-Albertsons merger, the Federal Trade Commission has included a novel count involving effects on the purchase of “union grocery labor.” Although imaginative, this may prove to be a bridge too far, misapplying antitrust tools in an effort to reach policy goals that more properly belong to the Labor Department.
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March 12, 2024
Privacy Corner: Troutman Pepper aids clients as cyberattacks rise
With cyberattacks growing, Sadia Mirza and Stephen Piepgrass at Troutman Pepper are leading the firm’s new Incidents and Investigations team. The duo combines field expertise with regulatory know-how to offer clients a lifeline that lasts through litigation.
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March 12, 2024
With Republican commissioners confirmed, FTC is now at full strength
Now that the Federal Trade Commission has a full roster of members for the first time since October 2022, it will change the nature of debate at the agency.
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March 12, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: Making a good anti-collusion program even better
The Procurement Collusion Strike Force at the Justice Department’s antitrust division is a fine and successful program. It could also be improved if it were given a wider mission and began to work with a broader range of informants on possible collusion.
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March 12, 2024
Biden hopes for political gains from FTC-DOJ task force
President Joe Biden has entrusted the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice’s antitrust division to co-chair an interagency strike force targeting unfair and illegal pricing. He’s also following a long tradition of using antitrust and consumer protection as part of a broader political strategy.
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March 12, 2024
DOJ antitrust enforcers’ grip on merger fees slips during congressional budget battle
Antitrust enforcers’ efforts to rein in Big Tech and others could take a major hit as the congressional battle continues over a budget deal needed to avert a government shutdown.
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March 12, 2024
Calendar
April 3-4 — The International Association of Privacy Professionals is holding its Global Privacy Summit 2024 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington, DC. For more details, go to: https://iapp.org/conference/global-privacy-summit/.
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March 12, 2024
FTC data identifies fraud hotbeds
Data from the Federal Trade Commission showed scam reports are most prevalent in the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia and Nevada.
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March 12, 2024
People
Posner goes back to MoloLamken
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March 12, 2024
On the Shelf: An influential tech reporter disses and reflects
Traditionalists argue that journalists are supposed to be storytellers and not the center of the story. For better or worse, Kara Swisher never got that message.
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March 12, 2024
Price-gouging crackdown gets help from Democratic lawmakers
The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general would have the power to enforce a federal ban against grossly excessive price increases, according to legislation introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Jan Schakowsky.
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March 12, 2024
FTC backs Colorado right-to-repair bill
The Federal Trade Commission is supporting Colorado’s right-to-repair bill.
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March 12, 2024
DOJ focused on breaking up monopoly chokepoints, Kanter says
The Department of Justice intends to enforce antitrust laws against gatekeepers to ensure competition in the US economy. DOJ antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter said the division is “laser focused” on breaking up monopoly chokepoints and preventing new ones before they arise.
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February 27, 2024
Calendar
March 13 — The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is sponsoring a virtual discussion on “The Future of American Innovation: A Conversation With Lina Khan.’’ It will take place at noon. For more information, go to: https://carnegieendowment.org/2024/03/13/future-of-american-innovation-conversation-with-lina-khan-event-8255.
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February 27, 2024
Eyeing diversity, Nguyen builds top-tier tech team
When the Federal Trade Commission created a new Office of Technology a year ago to help the agency police evolving technology and understand market trends, Chief Technology Officer Stephanie T. Nguyen wanted it to do more than just operate devices and software.
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February 27, 2024
House Republicans criticize Khan’s priorities, leadership
The Republican-led US House Judiciary Committee has issued an interim report accusing Democratic Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan of abusing her power and fostering an environment of low morale.
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February 27, 2024
After ‘noisy exit’ from FTC, Wilson makes comeback as Freshfields adviser
Christine Wilson is back on the antitrust scene as a Freshfields adviser after a 10-month career hiatus sparked by a “noisy exit” from the Federal Trade Commission.
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February 27, 2024
Commenters express support for proposed junk fee rules
A rulemaking to ban hidden and falsely advertised fees has received significant support in thousands of comments from the public.
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February 27, 2024
Kroger, Albertsons sued by FTC, eight states that allege deal will hurt shoppers, workers
Kroger and Albertsons were sued by the Federal Trade Commission and eight states Monday in federal district court in Oregon alleging the companies’ proposed transaction will eliminate competition in the market for groceries and other household essentials, spurring higher prices and lower quality products.
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February 27, 2024
Capital One-Discover deal is set to face intense antitrust scrutiny
Capital One’s proposed acquisition of Discover Financial Services for $35.3 billion is certain to attract a lot of antitrust scrutiny from regulators given how concentrated the credit card issuer market is in the US and the consolidating nature of their deal — vertically integrating Capital One’s credit card lending business with Discover’s network.
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February 27, 2024
White House guidance for shielding kids online due soon, but legislation remains uncertain
Social media companies are facing pressure from multiple areas of the government to further implement safeguards for children online, with the White House gearing up to release guidance this spring.