Search Results for agency_names:"Federal Trade Commission"

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend the paperwork approval for the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) for another three years. This rule requires commercial websites to notify parents and obtain their consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. The FTC is inviting public comments by April 21, 2025, and has increased the estimated annual costs and burden hours related to this rule. Feedback from various stakeholders has been considered, but suggestions for changes to the privacy policy requirements and financial estimates have not led to adjustments in the rule's current framework.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a proposed consent agreement with Tapjoy, Inc. to resolve allegations of deceitful practices in its mobile gaming advertising platform. The FTC claims Tapjoy misled consumers by promoting false offers of in-app rewards that were often not delivered, causing harm to both gamers and game developers. The proposed order requires Tapjoy to prevent such deceptive practices by ensuring accurate reward representations and providing a clear method for consumers to report issues. The Commission has invited public comments on this proposal until February 12, 2021.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a proposed consent order with Mobilewalla Inc., a data broker accused of unlawfully collecting and selling consumers' sensitive location information without obtaining proper consent. The company allegedly violated multiple parts of the FTC Act by collecting and retaining precise location data and targeting consumers based on characteristics revealed by their location history, such as religion or medical conditions. The proposed order aims to restrict Mobilewalla's future data practices, mandating they verify consumer consent and avoid retaining sensitive data indefinitely. The public is invited to comment on this order until January 6, 2025, before the FTC makes a final decision.

EnCap Investments L.P., Verdun Oil Company II LLC, XCL Resources Holdings, LLC, and EP Energy LLC have petitioned the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to change and remove certain prior approval requirements in a decision made on September 13, 2022. The companies argue that these requirements are unnecessary since they no longer operate in the affected area and claim the regulations negatively impact competition and investment. They also highlight significant changes in the competitive landscape of the Uinta Basin, such as increased production and changes in market participants. The FTC is seeking public comments on this petition until April 30, 2025.

Chevron Corporation and Hess Corporation have requested the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to review and nullify a previous order from January 17, 2025. This order stopped Chevron's efforts to appoint Hess CEO John B. Hess to Chevron's board following their merger, which was seen as potentially harming competition by increasing industry coordination. Chevron and Hess argue that the order lacks a valid antitrust basis, claiming that Mr. Hess's role would not significantly affect competition or oil prices, and that removing the order would be in the public interest to enhance U.S. energy production. The FTC is inviting the public to comment on this petition until May 12, 2025.

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a consent agreement with Chemence, Inc. to address allegations of deceptive practices related to their claims about products being "Made in USA." The FTC found that Chemence falsely advertised their glue products as primarily made in the United States, while much of the materials were sourced from abroad. The proposed order includes a $1.2 million judgment and guidelines for future advertising and compliance measures, including preventing Chemence from making false claims about product origins unless they accurately reflect manufacturing and material sources. This action is part of a shift towards stricter enforcement of "Made in USA" claims, aiming to protect consumers and honest competitors.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is updating the thresholds related to interlocking directorates as required by a 1990 amendment to section 8 of the Clayton Act. This section generally prevents a person from serving as a director or officer for two competing companies if certain financial thresholds are met. For 2025, the new thresholds are $51,380,000 for larger companies and $5,138,000 for smaller ones, reflecting changes in the gross national product. These thresholds will apply immediately.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is asking for public comments about proposed information requests aimed at large Single-Family Rental (SFR) owner operators, known as mega investors, who own over 1,000 rental properties. These requests are intended to help the FTC study the impact of such large investors on housing competition, prices, and their influence on local markets. The FTC plans to gather data about these companies' business models, property holdings, and pricing strategies, with the goal of increasing market transparency and possibly informing future regulatory actions. Public comments will be considered before the FTC requests approval from the Office of Management and Budget to proceed with this data collection.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a consent agreement with Amazon regarding allegations of misappropriated driver tips through its Amazon Flex program. Between late 2016 and August 2019, Amazon allegedly withheld nearly a third of tips that customers intended for drivers, amounting to approximately $61 million, despite claiming to pass 100% of tips to drivers. The agreement requires Amazon to pay back the full amount withheld and prohibits the company from changing its tipping practices without driver consent. The proposal is open for public comments until March 12, 2021, before final approval by the FTC.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has updated the financial thresholds that determine when a person is prohibited from being a director or officer of two competing companies, which is governed by Section 8 of the Clayton Act. As of January 21, 2021, competing companies are covered by these rules if each has combined capital, surplus, and undivided profits over $10,000,000, unless the competitive sales of either company are less than $1,000,000. The new threshold amounts are $37,382,000 for one type of evaluation and $3,738,200 for another. These changes reflect adjustments that happen every year based on the gross national product.