Tag

Ftc

All articles tagged with #ftc

business1 day ago•5 min saved

FTC Secures Real Right-to-Repair Protections for Farmers in Deere Deal

The FTC reached an antitrust settlement with John Deere that grants farmers enforceable, better-defined right-to-repair protections—including access to repair parts, tools, guides, and future resources, plus FTC oversight and the ability for farmers to sue Deere for repair-related harm. This is a major improvement over the Illinois class-action deal, which paid about $395 per farmer and relied on vague terms and weak enforcement, effectively curbing Deere’s monopoly without monetary damages for farmers.

via 404 Media|

#antitrust #business #farm-equipment

technology9 days ago•3 min saved

SCOTUS ruling tightens presidential control over the FTC, reshaping tech watchdog power

The Supreme Court ruled that the president can fire FTC commissioners, overturning Humphrey’s Executor and eliminating sustained bipartisan protection. This gives the White House greater influence over the agency’s decisions on consumer protection, online safety, and tech regulation—potentially impacting future AI oversight—while the FTC continues to operate under its statutory mandate but with reduced insulation from political pressure.

via Axios|

#ai-regulation #ftc #independent-agencies

business9 days ago•3 min saved

FTC Slaps Amazon with $2.25 Million Penalty for Blocking Identity Theft Victim Records

The Federal Trade Commission announced a $2.25 million civil penalty against Amazon for allegedly blocking or delaying identity theft victims from obtaining records of fraudulent transactions and failing to provide them within the 30-day period required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act; the proposed order requires timely access to records for victims and law enforcement, and notification to affected customers, with prior penalties in the company’s history related to privacy and other issues.

via BleepingComputer|

#amazon #business #fcra

politics11 days ago•4 min saved

Supreme Court expands presidential reach by allowing removal of FTC commissioners

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that presidents may fire Federal Trade Commission commissioners without cause, overturning Humphrey’s Executor and broadening executive control over independent agencies, a move praised by Trump and criticized by liberal justices and lawmakers as easing presidential power at the expense of checks and balances.

via CNBC|

#ftc #humphreys-executor #independent-agencies

politics12 days ago•20 min saved

SCOTUS splits on Trump’s firing powers; Fed independence preserved in separate ruling

The Supreme Court issued two major rulings on Monday: a 6-3 decision allowing Trump to fire an independent-agency official at the FTC, signaling a broader executive reach over independent agencies; a 5-4 ruling protecting Federal Reserve independence by requiring notice and an opportunity to respond before removing Fed Governor Lisa Cook. In a separate voting-rights update, the Court also allowed states to count mail ballots arriving after Election Day if they’re postmarked by Election Day, described as a narrow decision. Taken together, the rulings highlight ongoing tensions between presidential power, agency independence, and election rules.

via CNN|

#elections #federal-reserve #ftc

xr-industry-news1 month ago•5 min saved

Meta Spins Out Supernatural, Rebooting VR Fitness as an Independent Studio

Meta is spinning out Supernatural as an independent company called Supernatural Health. The current Supernatural app will wind down on December 3, and a new app is expected later this fall in Quest's Horizon Store, built by a smaller team with some of the original coaches back on board. Pricing is returning to the original $20/month ($200/year) after a Founding Member rate of $180 for the first year. Founders and coaches are departing from Meta, and the updated app will bring fresh workouts and features. The move follows Meta's 2021 $400 million acquisition of Within and a subsequent FTC antitrust case that was dropped in 2023.

via Road to VR|

#acquisition #ftc #meta

tech1 month ago•61 min saved

Trump Phone’s US-made claim meets a reality check

The Verge reports that the Trump Mobile T1 Phone isn’t actually made in the USA—it's reportedly assembled there with most components sourced abroad, and the FTC’s strict ‘made in USA’ rules require significant domestic processing. Industry sources say the U.S. lacks the necessary manufacturing infrastructure, equipment, and affordable labor for mass smartphone production today, making a fully domestic build unlikely in the near term, though the company has floated a gradual path toward more U.S.-made components in the future.

via The Verge|

#ftc #made-in-usa #t1-phone

business1 month ago•3 min saved

FTC Reveals Near-100 Dealer List Tied to Deceptive Car Pricing

The FTC published a list of nearly 100 car dealerships it says engaged in deceptive pricing, naming major groups (including AutoNation, Hendrick, Lithia) and about 85 distinct entities. The warnings cover practices such as hidden fees, rebates not available to all buyers, mandatory down payments, pricing tied to financing, and upselling unwanted add-ons. The Drive notes the public list serves as a warning to improve pricing transparency and invites readers to share their own bait-and-switch stories.

via The Drive|

#business #car-dealerships #consumer-protection

policy1 month ago•41 min saved

FTC penalizes Cox Media for falsely advertising phone-spying to target ads

The Federal Trade Commission announced Cox Media Group, MindSift, and 1010 Digital Works will pay $930,000 to settle allegations they lied about secretly listening to consumers via phones and smart devices to target ads; the FTC found no listening occurred and the service largely re-sold data from brokers, violating consumer privacy laws.

via The Verge|

#advertising #cox-media-group #ftc

business1 month ago•2 min saved

FTC Slaps Nearly $1 Million on Marketers for False Voice-Data Targeting Claim

The FTC charged Cox Media Group and partners MindSift and 1010 Digital Works with misleading customers about an ‘Active Listening’ ad service that supposedly used voice data from devices to target ads; the service did not actually listen but relied on data broker lists, and claimed consumers opted in through terms of service. The settlement requires Cox to pay $880,000 and MindSift and 1010 Digital Works $25,000 each, with refunds to affected customers. The case underscores the need for truthful advertising and proper consumer consent.

via Gizmodo|

#advertising #business #data-brokers

business2 months ago•16 min saved

When Algorithms Raise Prices: The Amazon Antitrust Case

The FTC and 17 states allege Amazon uses real-time, AI-driven pricing to not only set its own prices but steer rivals’ strategies, including an anti-discounting algorithm and a proactive “Nessie” system that raised prices across the market via feedback loops. The case argues this unilateral algorithmic manipulation undermines competition, affects third‑party sellers, and may require new rules—such as limiting how often prices can change—while the trial proceeds.

via Washington Monthly|

#algorithmic-pricing #amazon #antitrust

business2 months ago•2 min saved

100 Days Left to Claim in Amazon-FTC $2.5B Settlement, Here’s How to Apply

There are 100 days left for eligible Amazon customers to file a claim in the $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC, with a final deadline of July 27. This is the second payout phase; the first phase paid automatically last year. To qualify, Prime must have been signed up between June 23, 2019 and June 23, 2025, and the customer must have attempted to cancel or enrolled through a “challenged” flow. Claims can be filed online via the portal (the fastest method) or by emailing a completed form to [email protected]. The maximum payout is $51, with payments issued after claim review, expected by September; Amazon says it denied wrongdoing and aims to keep cancellations clear and simple.

via USA Today|

#amazon #business #claims

technology2 months ago•5 min saved

FTC settles with ad giants over alleged demonetization of conservative outlets

The Federal Trade Commission and eight states reached settlements with ad firms Dentsu, Publicis, and WPP after accusing them of colluding to impose brand-safety standards that reduced advertising revenue for conservative outlets; the agreements bar certain anti-competitive ad-placement practices (the use of ‘Covered Bases’) and require changes to how ads are directed, while the firms did not admit wrongdoing; the action follows related actions against Omnicom and Interpublic and was approved by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman.

via Ars Technica|

#advertising #brand-safety #conservative-media

policy2 months ago•48 min saved

FTC moves to end ad-agency collusion on brand-safety rules

The Federal Trade Commission and eight states unveiled a proposed settlement with major ad agencies (WPP, Publicis, Dentsu) to bar them from coordinating to curb ads on platforms like X based on political content, targeting groups like GARM and critics such as NewsGuard and GDI. If approved, the order would ban cross-agency agreements that limit ad buys on publishers’ news and political content, require five years of annual compliance reports and appoint a five-year monitor. The move comes weeks after a judge dismissed a similar antitrust suit against X, underscoring renewed scrutiny of how brands police content online.

via The Verge|

#advertising #antitrust #brand-safety

business3 months ago•4 min saved

FTC Orders StubHub to Pay $10 Million for Hidden Ticket Fees

The Federal Trade Commission announced a $10 million settlement with StubHub after finding it violated the Fees Rule by advertising ticket prices without clearly disclosing the total upfront, including mandatory fees. The funds will be used for consumer redress, and the order bans misrepresenting total prices and requires clear disclosure of all fees before purchase.

via Federal Trade Commission (.gov)|

#business #consumer-protection #fees-rule