Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joseph J. Simons announced today that Mary K. Engle, currently the Associate Director of the Division of Advertising Practices, will be retiring from the Commission at the end of this month, after 30 years of service to the Commission and consumers. “Consumers nationwide have benefited greatly from many important law enforcement […]
Category Archives: Federal Trade Commission
Overseas Payment Processor and its Former CEO Settle FTC Allegations That They Enabled a Deceptive “Free Trial” Offer Scheme
A Latvian payment processor and its former CEO have agreed to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint against them. The complaint alleges that they engaged in unlawful conduct that enabled a deceptive “free trial” offer scheme by U.S.-based defendants. “Transact Pro helped scammers drain people’s accounts without their permission,” said Andrew Smith, Director of the […]
Defendants in FTC Credit Repair Scheme Case Agree to Settle Charges
The operators of a bogus credit repair scheme are banned from the credit repair business and subject to a wide array of other requirements under settlement terms with the Federal Trade Commission. The settlements relate to an FTC complaint filed in June 2019 alleging that the defendants targeted consumers with false promises of substantially improving […]
FTC Finalizes Settlements with Five Companies Related to Privacy Shield Allegations
The Federal Trade Commission has finalized settlements with five companies over allegations they falsely claimed certification under the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework, which enables companies to transfer consumer data legally from European Union countries to the United States. In separate actions, the FTC alleged that DCR Workforce, Inc., Thru, Inc., LotaData, Inc., and 214 Technologies, […]
FTC Releases Agenda for January 28 Voice Cloning Workshop
The Federal Trade Commission has released the final agenda for a January 28, 2020 FTC workshop that will examine voice cloning technologies, which enable users to make near-perfect reproductions of a real person’s voice. “You Don’t Say: An FTC Workshop on Voice Cloning Technologies” will examine the benefits and potential misuses of voice cloning technologies and […]
FTC Acts to Shut Down ‘Success by Health’ Instant Coffee Pyramid Scheme
A federal court granted the Federal Trade Commission’s request to temporarily shut down an alleged pyramid scheme known as “Success By Health,” and to freeze the assets of the company and its executives. In a complaint filed in federal court, the FTC alleges that Success By Health and its executives James “Jay” Dwight Noland, Jr., […]
FTC Approves Final Order Requiring Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Celgene Corporation to Divest Psoriasis Drug Otezla as a Condition of Acquisition
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s proposed $74 billion acquisition of Celgene Corporation would violate federal antitrust law. According to the complaint, which was first announced in November 2019, the proposed acquisition would likely harm consumers in the U.S. market for […]
Statement of Ian Conner, Director of FTC Bureau of Competition, Regarding the Announcement that Post Holdings, Inc. has Abandoned Its Proposed Acquisition of TreeHouse Foods, Inc.
“The FTC unanimously voted to challenge this deal because it was likely to lead to higher prices and reduced quality for private label ready-to-eat cereals. Households across America have benefitted from robust competition between Post and TreeHouse, and they will continue to do so now that this merger has been abandoned.” On Dec. 19, 2019, […]
FTC Comments to State Legislatures in Kansas and Ohio Encourage Granting Advanced Practice Registered Nurses Full Practice Authority
Federal Trade Commission staff submitted comments to two state legislatures on the impact of legislative proposals to modify the supervision requirements imposed on advanced practice registered nurses, or APRNs. In response to a request from Kansas House of Representatives Rep. Daniel R. Hawkins, FTC staff submitted comments that encourage the Kansas legislature to enact H.B. […]
FTC and DOJ Announce Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines for Public Comment
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division seek public comment on draft 2020 Vertical Merger Guidelines. The draft guidelines, open to comment for 30 days, describe how the federal antitrust agencies review vertical mergers to evaluate whether the mergers violate antitrust law. Vertical mergers combine two or more companies that operate […]