FTCWatch
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November 26, 2024
Seek Capital sued over alleged business scheme
The Federal Trade Commission sued Seek Capital, a company that simulated loans to small businesses, and its founder after the Delaware-based LLC allegedly took $37 million from consumers, according to a court filing.
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November 26, 2024
As robocalls plunge, state AGs want more action
The Federal Trade Commission received more than a million complaints about robocalls in fiscal year 2024, but the agency said this number represents more than a 50 percent reduction since fiscal year 2021.
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November 26, 2024
FTC’s costs for hiring expert witnesses down 20 percent in FY 2024
The Federal Trade Commission’s cost of hiring expert witnesses in competition cases — which the agency has previously acknowledged is a “top risk” — dipped by 20 percent in fiscal year 2024 from the previous year, the first such decrease in roughly half a decade.
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November 26, 2024
Lawmakers bolstered antitrust enforcement in 1914 with Clayton Act
This is the third in a series of articles marking the 110th anniversary of the Federal Trade Commission’s founding.
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November 26, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: Predicting next steps as agencies usher in latest Trump era
In the weeks since the election, everyone has been trying to figure out what comes next for antitrust and consumer protection — not only in the impending Trump administration, but also in the closing months of the Biden term.
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November 12, 2024
Calendar
Dec. 18 — The Federal Trade Commission is holding a virtual public workshop on “Competition Snuffed Out: How Predatory Pricing Harms Competition, Consumers, and Innovation.” It will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. For more information, go to: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/11/ftc-announces-virtual-workshop-predatory-pricing?utm_source=govdelivery.
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November 12, 2024
Tapestry-Capri judge cites US merger guidelines while avoiding theory of harm
The federal judge that ruled on Tapestry’s proposed acquisition of Capri didn’t decide on whether the Federal Trade Commission had proven its prima facie case that the deal would eliminate head-to-head competition between the handbag makers.
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November 12, 2024
Antitrust, consumer protection policies face new reality after elections
The Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department will still have strong enforcement agendas, especially when pursuing Big Tech, but might greenlight more mergers, according to antitrust insiders. Meanwhile, the newly minted GOP majority in the Senate might try to find common ground with Democrats on reform legislation.
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November 12, 2024
FTC’s neo-Brandeisian antitrust enforcement may end under Trump
Donald Trump’s return to the White House stands to derail many of the Federal Trade Commission’s ambitious antitrust enforcement priorities, including a polarizing but popular rulemaking effort to ban noncompete clauses in employee contracts nationwide and an expanded policing of unfair methods of competition.
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November 12, 2024
Consumers to get refunds after Credit Karma’s claims fall through
A multiyear process initiated by the Federal Trade Commission against credit services company Credit Karma for false pre-approval offers has culminated in a payment to about 50,000 consumers that cost the business more than $2.5 million.
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November 12, 2024
FTC sues cash advance app Dave
The Federal Trade Commission sued online cash advance app Dave after the company allegedly used “misleading marketing to deceive customers.”
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November 12, 2024
On the Shelf: A different way of looking at Woodrow Wilson
When conservatives criticize Woodrow Wilson, it usually centers on his work on the administrative state and his interventionist foreign policy.
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November 12, 2024
Khan’s tenure as chair criticized in House panel report
A House panel has criticized Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan for politicizing the agency too much and overseeing a “sweeping destruction of agency norms.”
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November 12, 2024
People — FTC vet Mohr jumps to private practice
Stephen Mohr, who ran the Federal Trade Commission division that reviews healthcare mergers, is now a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.
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November 12, 2024
Spotify defends bundling while trying to dodge courtroom copyright fight
Spotify told a New York federal court that its controversial premium audiobook bundle carries “more than token value” as the company seeks dismissal of a copyright lawsuit with potentially millions of dollars in music royalties on the line.
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November 12, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: How legal teams celebrate a big victory
Litigation teams have celebrated victory in pretty much all possible ways. For the most part they do this with modest expenditure and professional restraint. Yet on occasion, they have turned to strong drinks, baseball caps, and bathtubs filled with champagne and semi-naked litigators.
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November 12, 2024
Abiie, maker of high chairs, removes ‘Made in USA’ label after FTC review
Abiie, which makes products for the youngest Americans, is feeling the impact of the Made in USA Labeling Rule after a government review.
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November 12, 2024
As closing of Pennsylvania glass plant looms, senators call on FTC
In Charleroi, a western Pennsylvania borough along the Monongahela River, glassmaking is built into the town’s history. The grandmother of the borough’s current council president has worked at the factory near the river, and so has the grandfather of fellow councilmember Larry Celaschi.
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November 12, 2024
Six charged in IT government procurement schemes
The Department of Justice charged six individuals involved in two schemes to rig bids and defraud the government in connection with procuring information technology services, an agency press release said.
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October 29, 2024
Calendar
Nov. 14 — The American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section is sponsoring the 2024 Antitrust Fall Forum. Notable speakers include Federal Trade Commission Member Melissa Holyoak and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki. The all-day event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. For more information, go to: https://events.americanbar.org/event/0045B583-A5CF-4488-9528-57422ED8EACE/summary.
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October 29, 2024
Lyft pays $2.1 million fine for deceptive earnings claims
The Federal Trade Commission settled with ridesharing company Lyft for $2.1 million after being accused of misleading drivers about potential earnings.
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October 29, 2024
Tapestry-Capri merger decision endorses flexible US market definitions
Handbag-makers Tapestry and Capri Holdings repeatedly told a US judge examining their planned merger that the Federal Trade Commission’s “accessible luxury” handbag market definition is too complex and imprecise to be valid.
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October 29, 2024
Elite colleges hit with new suit alleging antitrust violations
Colleges are in the antitrust crosshairs again following a class action alleging that a group of them colluded to give less financial aid to students whose parents are divorced.
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October 29, 2024
FTC partners with AARP to protect older Americans from scams
A report from the Federal Trade Commission shows what the agency — in conjunction with organizations like the AARP — has been able to accomplish in terms of protecting older Americans from fraud in recent years.
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October 29, 2024
On the Shelf: Bite-sized takes on presidents and the presidency
The presidency is heavily chronicled but often misunderstood.