Federal Trade Commission

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New FTC Rule Bans Noncompete Agreements

Agency says clauses 'keep wages low' and 'suppress new ideas'

(Newser) - The Federal Trade Commission has voted 3-2 to ban noncompete agreements for most workers, meaning millions more people will soon be free to leave their jobs to work for competitors or start their own businesses. The FTC says around a fifth of the US workforce, about 30 million people, is...

Man Pardoned by Trump Fined $20M
Man Pardoned
by Trump Fined $20M
Feb 7, 2024 6:20 PM CST

Man Pardoned by Trump Fined $20M

Authorities say Jonathan Braun ran network of predatory lenders

(Newser) - Drug smuggler-turned-loan shark Jonathan Braun was pardoned by Donald Trump for the drug smuggling but he hasn't gotten off scot-free for running what authorities say was a network of predatory lenders. Braun was fined $20 million on Tuesday, almost double what a jury had recommended, by a federal judge...

Grand Canyon University Misled Students: FTC Suit

Filing also points out school isn't a nonprofit

(Newser) - Grand Canyon University again is facing a federal complaint accusing the school of deceptive practices. A lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Federal Trade Commission calls out advertising practices and illegal telemarketing, the Hill reports. An FTC statement said Grand Canyon misrepresented "the costs and number of courses required to...

Rite Aid Banned From Using Facial Recognition Tech

For the next 5 years, at least

(Newser) - Due to what the Federal Trade Commission calls Rite Aid's "reckless" use of facial recognition technology in hundreds of stores from 2012 to 2020, the drugstore chain is now prohibited from using it for five years. The ban is part of Rite Aid's settlement with the FTC...

Undisclosed Algorithm Helped Amazon Raise Prices: FTC

Company says 'Project Nessie' is misunderstood

(Newser) - Amazon relied on an undisclosed algorithm to help it increase what it charged buyers without risking the company ending up alone at higher price points, a government lawsuit says—the idea was to pull competitors along. "Project Nessie" helped Amazon leverage its market clout, the Federal Trade Commission's...

Microsoft's $69B Activision Deal Gets a Breather

Deadline to close acquisition with game maker is extended until Oct. 18

(Newser) - The deadline for Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of video game company Activision Blizzard has been extended as the companies seek to close a deal that has been vexed by US regulators, as well as by UK's Competition and Markets Authority. Microsoft believes that pushing back the deadline to...

Judge Rejects FTC Move to Halt $69B Microsoft-Activision Deal

With clock ticking to get the deal closed, court hands Microsoft a major victory

(Newser) - A federal judge has handed Microsoft a major victory by declining to block its looming $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard. US District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said in a ruling that the Federal Trade Commission "has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its...

FTC Wants a Steep Crackdown on Phony Online Reviews

Proposed new rules include steep fines

(Newser) - The Federal Trade Commission says it wants to "level the playing field for honest companies" with a crackdown on fake online reviews. The FTC has proposed new rules that include heavy penalties for companies using dodgy reviews to boost their products, the Washington Post reports. Offenders could be fined...

FTC: 'Manipulative' Amazon Tricked Millions Into Prime

Company 'knowingly complicated the cancellation process,' to boot, agency says

(Newser) - The FTC isn't letting up on Amazon , alleging in a new lawsuit that the world's largest online retailer knowingly tricked "millions of consumers" into signing up for its paid Prime service, then made them jump through hoops in order to cancel . The company "trapped people into...

FTC Sues to Block Microsoft's $69B Activision Takeover
FTC Sues to Block
Massive Tech Deal
Jun 12, 2023 5:11 PM CDT

FTC Sues to Block Massive Tech Deal

Agency seeks injunction to stop Microsoft's $69B Activision takeover

(Newser) - The Federal Trade Commission has sued to block Microsoft from completing its deal to buy video game company Activision Blizzard, the latest antitrust challenge to the proposed merger but one that could hasten its conclusion. The FTC's Monday filing in a federal court in San Francisco seeks a restraining...

FTC Warns of 'Terrifying' Phone Scam Driven by AI

Agency says voice cloning can make caller sound like a loved one begging for money

(Newser) - Many of us have heard of the old hoax in which victims receive phone calls from "police" or a "doctor" (actually scammers) saying that a loved one is in trouble and needs money sent stat. Now, in what NPR says "sounds like a plot from a science...

Egg Producers' 'Egregious Profits' Raising Some Eyebrows

Farm Action wants Cal-Maine investigated over possible price gouging

(Newser) - A US senator has joined farmers in calling for an investigation to crack the problem of soaring egg prices . Government data shows the national average retail price for a dozen eggs reached $4.25 in December, for a 138% increase from the $1.79 average a year earlier, though the...

'Pharma Bro' Is Making Headlines Again

FTC wants Martin Shkreli held in contempt for impeding probe into ban on working in industry

(Newser) - It's been awhile since Martin Shkreli dominated the headlines, but he appears to be making somewhat of a comeback after his release from prison last year. In January 2022, the former pharmaceuticals executive deemed "Pharma Bro" by the media was ordered by a federal judge to return nearly...

Security, Compliance Executives Quit Twitter

FTC warns company, which risks violating consent decree

(Newser) - Federal regulators expressed alarm Thursday after several privacy and security executives resigned from Twitter. Those leaving include the chief information security officer, chief privacy officer, and chief compliance officer, the Washington Post reports. The news was met with a warning from the Federal Trade Commission, which said it could take...

FTC Sues Over Data That Could Track Users' Movements

Kochava says it's already enacted privacy measures

(Newser) - A government lawsuit accuses a data broker of selling geolocation information pulled from millions of mobile devices that could be used to track people seeking abortions. The Federal Trade Commission suit, filed Monday, calls for Kochava to stop the sales and delete data it's already collected about users' movements,...

FTC: Pro-Trump Firm's 'Made in USA' Apparel Made in China

Agency fines Lions Not Sheep, owner $200K for phony labels

(Newser) - If you're going to put "Made in USA" labels on your products, you'd better make sure they're actually made in the USA. That's the message the Federal Trade Commission hopes to convey to one pro-Donald Trump apparel company that it just fined more than $200,...

FTC Sues Intuit: Stop Saying TurboTax Is Free

FTC says ads mislead consumers

(Newser) - The Federal Trade Commission is suing TurboTax maker Intuit, saying its ads for “free” tax filing misled consumers, the AP reports. Intuit says it will fight the suit. The consumer protection agency said Tuesday that millions of consumers cannot actually use the free tax-prep software option—two-thirds of tax...

FTC Orders Walmart, Amazon to Explain 'Sky-High Prices'

9 companies asked to turn over information on supply chain woes

(Newser) - Walmart, Amazon, and Kroger will have 45 days to answer to the Federal Trade Commission for their "empty shelves and sky-high prices." With the holiday shopping season now underway, the FTC has ordered nine large retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers including Procter & Gamble Co., Tyson Foods, Kraft Heinz...

Biden Questions Oil Companies' Math
Biden Questions
Oil Companies' Math
Nov 17, 2021 4:52 PM CST

Biden Questions Oil Companies' Math

President wants investigation into why pump prices are up when costs are down

(Newser) - President Biden wonders why the cost of producing gasoline is dropping while prices at the pump are rising. Maybe "illegal conduct" is to blame, he wrote the chair of the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday, asking Lina Khan to investigate oil and gas companies and "bring all of...

Broken Hearts, Empty Wallets: Seniors Catfished for $139M

FTC report says there was a 'surge' in 2020 in romance scams bamboozling Americans 60 and over

(Newser) - Last month, the Department of Justice announced money laundering and wire fraud charges brought against nearly a dozen "romance scammers," and that's only scratching the surface of what the Washington Post calls a "surge" in such deceptions made worse by the pandemic, especially for the senior...

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