Earlier this month, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking aimed at setting greater guardrails against price increases during emergencies. The action comes exactly one year after James...more
Gather your W-2’s and call your CPAs! Tax season is upon us, and that means one thing for the FTC—another flurry of activity in its ongoing action against Intuit, Inc., one of the largest online tax-filing services. Recently,...more
This week the Federal Trade Commission unveiled hefty settlements with Epic Games Inc.—the creator of the video game Fortnite—to resolve separate actions alleging violations of Section 5 of the FTC Act and the Children’s...more
At its most recent open meeting, the Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously to issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, seeking public comment on whether to modify or expand its Business Opportunity Rule.
The...more
Supply chain disruptions and accompanying inflation for raw materials have challenged many businesses. A recent case involving paint retailer Sherwin-Williams shows how not to deal with these challenges....more
10/28/2022
/ Breach of Contract ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hidden Fees ,
Material Misrepresentation ,
Misleading Impressions ,
Price Inflation ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Retailers ,
Supply Chain ,
Surcharges ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
At a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) event last week, Chair Lina Khan said children are more susceptible than adults to deceptive or harmful practices, especially those that blur the line between advertising and entertainment....more
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission turned its attention to the mortgage relief industry once again. In its most recent enforcement action, the FTC joined forces for the first time with the California Department of...more
9/23/2022
/ AMG Capital Management LLC v FTC ,
Asset Freeze ,
California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Debt-Relief Industry ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Loan Modifications ,
Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) ,
Mortgages ,
Restraining Orders ,
Telemarketing Sales Rule
The buzz around gig economy protections continued as the Federal Trade Commission took yet another action to safeguard gig workers. Last week, the FTC adopted a policy statement asserting its authority to address...more
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, and consumers swarmed the stores for disinfectant sprays, masks, and household items, state price-gouging laws grew increasingly relevant as sellers sought to cash in on the heightened...more
We recently discussed the various ways in which the Federal Trade Commission is focusing on worker protections in the gig economy. Though we didn’t have a crystal ball to foresee it, the FTC announced that it is furthering...more
7/21/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Data-Sharing ,
Divestiture ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Gig Economy ,
Labor Shortage ,
Memorandum of Understanding ,
Mergers ,
NLRB ,
Unfair Competition ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Worker Protection Standard
Last week, the FTC brought and settled enforcement actions against two manufacturing companies for allegedly limiting customers’ right to repair purchased products under unlawful warranty terms. The FTC alleged that the two...more
Last week, the United States Department of Justice, acting on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission, took action against Twitter, Inc. for allegedly using private account security data to sell targeted advertisements without...more
6/1/2022
/ Advertising ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU-US Privacy Shield ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Misrepresentation ,
Online Advertisements ,
Swiss Privacy Shield ,
Targeted Digital Advertising ,
Twitter
The Federal Trade Commission’s May 2022 open meeting, Alvaro Bedoya’s first since being sworn in as the agency’s fifth commissioner on May 16, considered a request for public comment on proposed amendments to its Guides...more
“Free” must mean free?
Last week, the attorneys general for all 50 states and the District of Columbia announced a settlement with Intuit, Inc., the owner of TurboTax, which will require the company to hand over $141...more
At the peak of tax-filing season, when millions of consumers are still considering their method of filing, the Federal Trade Commission has set its sights on Intuit, Inc., one of the largest online tax-filing services. ...more
On Friday, March 11, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an administrative complaint against HomeAdvisor, Inc., charging it with using deceptive and misleading tactics to sell leads for home improvement projects to small...more
The latest edition of the FTC’s recent practice of holding open meetings brings a potential rule regarding earnings claims to the forefront. During the FTC’s open meeting, the Commission unanimously approved issuing an...more