A Blog About FTC regulations and happenings
Ifrah Law’s Semi-monthly Blog Wrap-up, February 1-18
This is the second of a regular series of posts that summarize and wrap up our latest thoughts that have appeared recently on Ifrah Law’s two blogs.
1. Is D.C. on the Way to Legalizing Online Poker?
On February 2, we were among the first media outlets to point out that a little-noticed amendment could give D.C. residents the legal right to play online poker through a new system administered by the D.C. Lottery. This would put the District, surprisingly, in the forefront of the movement to legalize Internet poker. It’s an issue that a lot of people will be watching.
Read the full post here on the Crime in the Suites blog.
2. New DOJ Unit Will Keep Eye on Prosecutors’ Misconduct
The Department of Justice’s new Professional Misconduct Review Unit was created to investigate and punish instances of misconduct by DOJ attorneys. Our post examines this new unit and concludes that the DOJ has a long way to go to restore full public confidence.
Read the full post here on the Crime in the Suites blog.
3. Those iPad Hackers Were Probably Seeking Publicity, Not Profit
What was the story behind the two iPad hackers who obtained the personal data of approximately 120,000 iPad users by exploiting a security weakness in AT&T’s software? They’re now facing potential jail time, but we concluded that they were probably just trying to show where the weaknesses were in the software, not to profit from the data that they got hold of.
Read the full post here on the Crime in the Suites blog.
4. Is This Domain Name Seizure a Bad Omen for Internet Freedom?
Recently, a U.S. magistrate seized 10 websites that prosecutors say were streaming live sports events in violation of copyright. We were concerned that prosecutors might soon go too far in these efforts and try to ask for the seizure of any domain or website that they just find objectionable.
Read the full post here on the Crime in the Suites blog.
5. Facebook Friends and Judicial Ethics
We looked at an Ohio state board’s ruling that a judge may become a Facebook “friend” of an attorney as long as the judge takes care to protect the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. This decision is one indication that states are looking to impose content-based restrictions regarding Internet use and social media, rather than broad prohibitions on the use of an entire website.
Read the full post here on the Crime in the Suites blog.
6. Middlemen Run Afoul of FTC Suspicions
We took a look at a recent case that the Federal Trade Commission settled with three companies that had advertised to consumers that they would provide debt relief services, while in fact they simply were middlemen who put people in touch with others who were in the business of debt relief. Our post examines why FTC actions like this one can prevent middlemen from entering a market and can actually be harmful to consumers.
Read the full post here on the FTC Beat blog.
7. FTC Looks at Football Helmet Safety Claims
In view of the growing concern over concussions in the NFL, we took a look at safety claims for football helmets. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) asked the FTC to look into claims made by helmet manufacturers. We discussed what might be at stake for the companies and for young football players.
Read the full post here on the FTC Beat blog.
8. FTC Cracks Down on Bogus Virus-Removal Software
The FTC recently took action against companies that placed online advertisements falsely stating that users’ computers are infected with viruses – and then sold them bogus security software. We noted that cases like this can serve as a reminder that the FTC is likely to target sellers who blatantly cloak their advertisements in deceptive fear tactics.
Read the full post here on the FTC Beat blog.
9. Wu Appointment May Mean More Regulation to Come
We believe the FTC’s recent appointment of Columbia Law Professor Tim Wu as a member of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning could be a harbinger of more market-stifling regulation to come, and we urged that the FTC should stick to protecting consumers and not to look to fix things that aren’t broken.
Read the full post here on the FTC Beat blog.
10. Chargebacks Can Be a Major Problem for Small Businesses
In this post, a follow-on to a Wall Street Journal article that identified chargebacks as a major problem for small businesses, we noted that credit card companies often take the side of the purchaser in reversing a charge and that it can often take a long time for a merchant to be re-credited with a sale. We expressed hope that consumers would realize that their actions can harm merchants that often can’t afford these losses and that they would think twice before requesting a chargeback.
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