Search Results for keywords:"Federal Trade Commission"

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a consent agreement with accessiBe Inc. and accessiBe Ltd., addressing alleged violations of unfair or deceptive practices. The agreement accuses accessiBe of falsely claiming their product, accessWidget, could make any website fully compliant with accessibility standards. Additionally, accessiBe did not disclose financial ties to publishers of third-party reviews, which misrepresented the product as unbiased and objective. The order mandates accessiBe to correct these practices, make transparent disclosures, and pay $1,000,000 in monetary relief to the FTC. Public comments on this agreement are invited until February 5, 2025.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requesting public comments regarding their proposal to extend for three years the current Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) clearance, which involves information collection related to the Duties of Consumer Reporting Agencies' rule. This effort is overseen in part with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the collection requirement enables consumers to receive one free file disclosure per year from consumer reporting agencies. Public comments must be submitted by May 30, 2025.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is updating its civil penalties to adjust for inflation, as required by law. These changes increase the maximum fines for violations of various acts, such as the Clayton Act and the FTC Act, and will take effect on January 17, 2025. The adjustments follow a cost-of-living formula and apply to fines assessed after the effective date. These updates fulfill an annual requirement under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend the approval for collecting information related to a rule on home insulation labeling and advertising. This rule, known as the R-value Rule, helps ensure that consumers get accurate information about how well insulation products perform, so they can decide if the cost is worth it. Comments on this request must be submitted by February 11, 2021.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is asking for a three-year extension from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the clearance of information collection requirements related to the Amplifier Rule, which concerns power output claims for amplifiers in home entertainment products. This clearance, initially expiring on January 31, 2021, helps standardize the measurement and disclosure of these products' features, aiding consumers in making informed purchases. The FTC invites public comments on this extension by February 22, 2021. The deadline extension aims to continue ensuring manufacturers provide consistent information about amplifiers, improving transparency and consumer trust.

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 proposed a consent order to address alleged anticompetitive practices by the private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. The firm was accused of violating several federal laws by consolidating anesthesia services in Texas through its company, U.S. Anesthesia Partners, Inc., which led to increased prices. The proposed order seeks to limit Welsh Carson's influence over this company and requires them to obtain FTC approval for future acquisitions in anesthesia and related medical fields to prevent similar monopolistic behavior. The public has until March 20, 2025, to submit comments on this proposed consent order.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized amendments to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), which aim to enhance the protection of children's personal information online. The amendments update definitions and improve transparency by requiring operators of websites and online services to provide more detailed notices about their data collection practices, including information on data retention and third-party sharing. The FTC has also approved new methods for obtaining parental consent and instituted stricter data security and retention policies, while maintaining flexibility to accommodate different business sizes. Furthermore, these changes include additional reporting requirements for FTC-approved Safe Harbor programs, which are intended to increase oversight and accountability.

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 has adopted changes to the Telemarketing Sales Rule to address deceptive technical support scams. These amendments extend the Rule to cover inbound telemarketing calls responding to advertisements or direct mail solicitations offering tech support services. The changes aim to protect consumers, especially older adults, from tech support scams frequently exploiting them. The amendments will become effective on January 9, 2025, and are designed to strengthen consumer protections and allow the FTC to take more robust enforcement actions against deceptive practices in tech support telemarketing.