FTCWatch
-
June 04, 2024
On the Shelf: Liberal economist redefines one of the right’s favorite words
Traditional conservatives have a passionate intellectual love affair with freedom. They treat the works of thinkers such as Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek and Adam Smith as if they were gospel.
-
June 04, 2024
Klobuchar’s antitrust overhaul measure faces long shot
Senator Amy Klobuchar is trying again to get her colleagues to pass a strong antitrust bill, but partisan bickering and the short election-year calendar could doom the latest measure.
-
June 04, 2024
Antitrust agencies to identify serial acquisitions, roll-ups
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice’s antitrust division are asking for information to identify serial acquisitions and roll-ups “throughout the economy that have led to consolidation that has harmed competition.”
-
June 04, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: Challenging computerized collusion
It’s probably the hottest topic in today’s antitrust circles: how should the agencies go about challenging the new price-fixing that is done through shared computer programs? In the years ahead, we should expect the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department to devise a more systematic way to divide up this work according to their areas of strength.
-
June 04, 2024
Newly passed House bill could lead to Swifties, others rejoicing soon
It’s been a long time coming. In a rare moment of bipartisanship, the House passed 388-24 a bill that would end hidden fees in event pricing — and it’s happening a year and a half after demand for Taylor Swift tickets broke the Internet.
-
June 04, 2024
Best Buy, Amazon, PayPal most frequently impersonated by scammers
Best Buy, Amazon and PayPal are the companies scammers impersonate most often, according to new data from the Federal Trade Commission.
-
June 04, 2024
Blackbaud, FTC finalize data breach settlement
The Federal Trade Commission finalized its February settlement with software company Blackbaud over a 2020 data breach.
-
May 21, 2024
Exxon-Pioneer complaint boosts class actions, poses hurdles for DOJ probe
A raft of proposed class actions alleging that high US gas prices are linked to a global crude oil price-fixing conspiracy received a boost following Federal Trade Commission allegations that American oil tycoon Scott Sheffield has facilitated direct communication between industry competitors and the world’s preeminent oil cartel.
-
May 21, 2024
GOP House members skeptical of FTC budget hike request
Republicans who partially control the purse strings of the Federal Trade Commission seemed reluctant to give the agency the 25 percent budget increase it wants. But they didn’t go after Chair Lina Khan at her annual appearance before a House spending panel on May 15.
-
May 21, 2024
Fending off critics, FTC lawyers offer reasoning behind noncompete ban
The Federal Trade Commission issued a noncompete rule because it’s a more effective way to make changes than modifying policy by litigation, according to an agency lawyer.
-
May 21, 2024
Privacy Corner: Ward’s journey from law enforcement to privacy law
As a computer forensics examiner in California, Steven Ward had unfiltered access to people’s innermost thoughts through their technology. That led him down a path to work as a privacy and security fellow with R Street, a free market think tank.
-
May 21, 2024
FTC jumps to No. 9 in best workplace rankings
The Federal Trade Commission ranked as the ninth-best place to work in the federal government in 2023 among 26 midsize agencies, making a sharp recovery after having fallen to near bottom spots over the past two years.
-
May 21, 2024
Calendar
May 30 — The Department of Justice and Stanford University are sponsoring a conference on “Promoting Competition in AI.” The event will be held at the Stanford campus and livestreamed. It will be held from noon to 9 p.m. ET. For more information, go to: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/events/promoting-competition-ai?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
-
May 21, 2024
Scam-fighting experts hone tactics to protect older adults
After 90 minutes of questioning from lawmakers concerned about oil cartels, global digital trade policy, and the Federal Trade Commission’s request for a $109 million budget increase, one congresswoman still wasn’t ready to let FTC Chair Lina Khan leave.
-
May 21, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: The great FTC archives treasure hunt
Spring has come, the April showers have pierced to the root, and the thoughts of right-minded people are turning to adventure and romance, like, for instance, the quest for hidden treasure.
-
May 21, 2024
Executive pleads guilty to wildfire services scheme
Ike Tomlinson pleaded guilty to rigging bids and allocating territories in a wildfire services scheme.
-
May 21, 2024
FTC finalizes order barring InMarket from selling location data
The Federal Trade Commission finalized a settlement with InMarket Media over claims the company unlawfully used consumers’ location data for advertising and marketing.
-
May 21, 2024
Litigation awaits most FTC rulemakings
When the US Chamber of Commerce and tax consulting firm Ryan LLC filed suit to challenge the Federal Trade Commission’s noncompete rule, they were continuing a decades-long litigation tradition.
-
May 21, 2024
On the Shelf: How to limit children’s addiction to technology
The impact of technology on young people has long been a source of concern among policymakers, parents, scholars and even some of those children and adolescents. While there has been some progress to safeguard young people and help them grow up with fewer distractions and more autonomy, there’s still a great deal to do.
-
May 21, 2024
People
Antitrust vet Nagley joins Sheppard Mullin
-
May 07, 2024
Clearance for Exxon-Pioneer deal includes board restrictions
A modified deal for ExxonMobil’s acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources has been cleared by the Federal Trade Commission with stipulations and a five-year ban on Pioneer officials serving on the combined company’s board, based on agency concerns about the former chief executive’s communications about output.
-
May 07, 2024
On the Shelf: Why it’s hard to tame MLMs
One of the biggest topics of consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission is the multilevel marketing (MLM) industry. While the agency has made progress going after bad actors, there are still numerous examples of companies that exploit vulnerable people.
-
May 07, 2024
Calendar
May 21 — Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter and Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan are among the speakers at the American Economic Liberties Project’s Anti-Monopoly Summit 2024. For more information, go to: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/americaneconomiclibertiesproject.
-
May 07, 2024
Tapestry-Capri case in US could hinge on defining luxury handbag market
Tapestry and Capri Holdings pushed back against the Federal Trade Commission’s characterization of their merger and its likely impact on the fashion sector. The agency sued to block the $8.5 billion deal in late April.
-
May 07, 2024
Wilson praises early moves of FTC’s new GOP commissioners
So far so good.