Search Results for keywords:"Federal Trade Commission"

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) is asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend for three years the current clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act for information collection related to the Pay-Per-Call Rule. This rule helps prevent unfair acts in pay-per-call services. The FTC is seeking public comments by February 20, 2025, on these information collection requirements. They clarify that previous comments incorrectly viewed the request as proposing new rules, rather than continuing existing requirements.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accepted a proposed consent agreement to address anticompetitive practices by Guardian Service Industries, Inc. The company was found to have used "No-Hire Agreements" that prevented other businesses from hiring its employees, which the FTC claims are unfair methods of competition under federal law. The proposed consent order will make these agreements void and includes measures to inform affected parties. Some FTC commissioners have expressed dissent, arguing that there was insufficient evidence of antitrust violations. The public can submit comments on this proposed agreement until January 6, 2025.

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 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.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks public comments on its shared enforcement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding consumer reporting agencies' responsibilities under a specific rule. This rule ensures consumers can request a free annual file disclosure from nationwide consumer reporting agencies. The FTC estimates that there will be about 21 million requests for these reports each year. The FTC is also asking for comments on the effectiveness and accuracy of these procedures and the potential ways to improve them. Comments must be submitted by April 14, 2025.

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.

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 (FTC) has announced new adjustments to civil penalty amounts within its jurisdiction to account for inflation as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015. These changes, effective from January 13, 2021, affect various penalty amounts, including those related to premerger filing notifications, unfair or deceptive acts, and labeling violations. The adjustments are based on a cost-of-living adjustment formula that compares the Consumer Price Index from two preceding Octobers. This ensures penalties are updated annually to maintain their deterrent effect and to reflect economic changes.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has introduced a final rule called the Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees. This rule aims to prevent businesses from misleading consumers about the prices of live-event tickets and short-term lodging. It requires businesses to clearly disclose the total price that includes all mandatory fees, to avoid bait-and-switch tactics that hide the real cost. The rule also prohibits businesses from lying about the nature, purpose, amount, or refundability of these fees, ensuring that consumers have a true understanding of the cost before making a purchase.