FTCWatch
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June 20, 2023
As probes of FTC intensify, Khan supplies reams of documents to Congress
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan gave documents to House Republicans discussing the resignation of Republican Commissioner Christine Wilson, along with data about employees’ rush to the exits when Khan became chair.
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June 20, 2023
On the Shelf: Why Facebook has caused so many problems
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen caused considerable tumult and some policy changes with her media appearances and legislative testimony, shedding light on the allegedly nefarious ways the company manipulates algorithms.
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June 06, 2023
Khan being investigated by US House panel over abuse of power allegations
The US House Oversight Committee opened a probe into Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan and fellow Democratic commissioners concerning whether the agency has turned “rogue” after allegations of abuse of power by former Republican Commissioner Christine Wilson.
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June 06, 2023
Auto dealers say Safeguards Rule needs tune-up
Auto dealers have prepared for years for the updated Safeguards Rule set to take effect June 9, and they say the rule’s one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.
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June 06, 2023
Let’s compare the 2024 election with the 1912 race
A charismatically challenged president with strong antitrust bona fides faces a threat to his reelection from his media-savvy and extroverted predecessor.
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June 06, 2023
FTC’s Alexa settlement shows enforcement path for misuse of algorithmic data
The Federal Trade Commission’s latest privacy settlements with Amazon show how the commission plans to regulate algorithms and artificial intelligence even without a specific federal AI law on the books.
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June 06, 2023
Calendar
Sept. 7 — The Federal Trade Commission is hosting a workshop on proposed changes to the Funeral Rule. It will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Constitution Center in Washington, DC. For more information, go to: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events/2023/09/funeral-rule-workshop.
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June 06, 2023
DOJ, George’s Foods reach settlement over labor market abuses
George’s Inc. and George’s Foods LLC have settled with the Department of Justice over claims that the companies conspired with other poultry processors for years to suppress workers’ wages by exchanging compensation data.
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June 06, 2023
FTC inspector general urges training on hiring expert witnesses
The Federal Trade Commission’s inspector general urged the agency to develop formal training about overseeing increasingly expensive expert witnesses.
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June 06, 2023
Noncompete rulemaking tab reported to Congress
The Federal Trade Commission has spent $560,000 on its rulemaking to ban noncompete clauses which bar workers from moving to competing employers.
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June 06, 2023
Court battles persist over regulating horseracing
As horseracing enters its most publicized time of the year, the Federal Trade Commission is fighting industry officials and state authorities over regulating the multi-billion-dollar industry.
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June 06, 2023
Neil Averitt commentary: Amgen-Horizon case raises possibility of personalized merger law
At first glance, the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint targeting the Amgen-Horizon deal seems ill-conceived and overbroad, but on second look there may be a hidden logic behind it. The history of the two companies could also become a factor in the analysis.
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June 06, 2023
JetBlue’s overlaps with Spirit lessened by rejection of AA alliance, but logic of court ruling aids DOJ
JetBlue’s court defeat in its effort to maintain its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines will both help and hurt the carrier's effort — in the face of opposition from the Department of Justice — to merge with Spirit Airlines.
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June 06, 2023
People
Erry touts ethical ad tech
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June 06, 2023
On the Shelf: A payoff for more Americans
Despite the relatively strong economy, wages for many have stagnated and anticompetitive policies are partially to blame. That’s the argument made by public intellectual Michael Lind in his concise and well-argued book, “Hell to Pay: How the Suppression of Wages is Destroying America.”
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June 06, 2023
Wu says FTC has law on its side
Timothy Wu, who was the intellectual architect of much of the Biden administration’s competition policy, says the US has moved to an antitrust era that connects to democratic roots. Congressional intent assures its longevity, he told FTCWatch in a telephone interview.
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May 16, 2023
Parents’ pressure on legislators helping to change US privacy landscape
Parents’ sharing of stories about how social media has affected their children is helping to shape both US privacy and content-moderation policy. It’s also influencing the cases regulators take on.
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May 16, 2023
Ex-Uber security chief’s sentence certain to lead to changes in cybersecurity industry
Former Uber Technologies security chief Joseph Sullivan escaped a prison sentence, but a warning from the US judge who sentenced him to three years of probation and a $50,000 fine is reverberating across the cybersecurity profession.
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May 16, 2023
As FTC updates eyeglass rule, industry focuses on fallout
The Federal Trade Commission is nearing the final stage of its latest update on selling eyeglasses.
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May 16, 2023
Calendar
Sept. 7 — The Federal Trade Commission is hosting a workshop on proposed changes to the Funeral Rule. It will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Constitution Center in Washington, DC. For more information, go to: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events/2023/09/funeral-rule-workshop.
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May 16, 2023
FTC typifies trend of disappearing commissioners, Wharton professors say
The Federal Trade Commission is becoming a one-person band dominated by the chair, two Wharton School professors concluded.
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May 16, 2023
Neil Averitt commentary: The president can fire the FTC chair at will – how’s that for control?
Constitutional defenses based on the separation of powers have become something of an antitrust fad, but they aren’t necessarily a winner.
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May 16, 2023
Judicial, political threats loom over FTC
The Federal Trade Commission might lose more rulemaking power and some employees might experience less job security as the agency faces emerging threats.
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May 16, 2023
Force may NOT be with you, ALJ says
On Star Wars Day, the Federal Trade Commission’s chief administrative law judge was determined to limit the conversation to the task at hand, but struggled with the technical details.
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May 16, 2023
DOJ reaches settlement on hardware merger
The Department of Justice reached a settlement in its litigation regarding Assa Abloy’s acquisition of a Spectrum Brand’s hardware and home improvement division.