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FTC Actions Posts
A Q&A With Jeff Ifrah on the FTC’s Latest Draconian Tactics
Apr 23, 2013
A Q&A With Jeff Ifrah on the FTC’s Latest Draconian Tactics
Some lawyers who deal regularly with the Federal Trade Commission in investigations of allegedly false and deceptive online advertising have noticed that the agency is beginning to take steps in these investigations that are unprecedented and draconian – and that judges seem to be going along. Below is a set of questions and answers with…
FTC Revises Online Advertising Disclosure Guidelines: Say It and Say It Clearly
Mar 15, 2013
FTC Revises Online Advertising Disclosure Guidelines: Say It and Say It Clearly
This week, the FTC released updated guidance to its 2000 “Dot Com Disclosures,” a guide covering disclosures in online advertising. The online world has certainly changed in 13 years, and the new guidelines, available here, cover advances in online advertising, including mobile advertising. One central theme still prevails: existing consumer protection laws and rules apply no…
Web Analytics Firm Settles FTC Charges Over Intrusive Data Tracking
Mar 12, 2013
Web Analytics Firm Settles FTC Charges Over Intrusive Data Tracking
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced that it has approved a final order settling charges against Compete, Inc., a Boston-based web analytics company. Compete, Inc. sells reports on consumer browsing behavior to clients looking to drive more traffic to their websites and increase sales. Compete, Inc. obtained the information by getting consumers to install the…
FTC Remains Tough on ‘Robocalls’ with New Enforcement Case
Feb 27, 2013
FTC Remains Tough on ‘Robocalls’ with New Enforcement Case
Once again, the FTC has completed a major enforcement action against the illegal use of robocalls, a form of prerecorded, computerized telemarketing calls. This time, the action resulted in a $1.1 million civil penalty against Roy M. Cox, an individual whom the FTC considered to be the architect of an illegal robocall operation. The FTC…
Blood Bank Settles FTC Complaint About Customer Data Privacy
Feb 8, 2013
Blood Bank Settles FTC Complaint About Customer Data Privacy
Any company that collects personal information about individuals, such as credit card numbers and social security numbers, must be very careful about the way in which it stores and secures that information. Even a blood bank that stores umbilical cord blood needs to keep these privacy rules in clear view. That is one of the…
Criminal Background Checks? The FTC Knows There’s an App for That
Jan 24, 2013
Criminal Background Checks? The FTC Knows There’s an App for That
As we cautioned in a September post, the FTC is stepping up enforcement actions against mobile app developers for failure to comply with consumer protection principles. This month, the FTC took another major step in that direction with a groundbreaking settlement applying the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to app developers Filquarian Publishing, LLC, Choice…
FTC Seeking Information From 9 Data Brokers in Industry Probe
Dec 20, 2012
FTC Seeking Information From 9 Data Brokers in Industry Probe
On December 18, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission issued orders requiring nine data brokerage companies to provide the agency with information on how they collect data from consumers and use it. The nine companies asked to provide this data to the FTC include Acxiom, Datalogix, Intellius and Peekyou. Data brokers are companies that collect personal…
CFPB, FTC Announce Crackdown on Deceptive Mortgage Advertising
Nov 20, 2012
CFPB, FTC Announce Crackdown on Deceptive Mortgage Advertising
On November 19, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that they have launched a new coordinated effort to protect consumers, focusing on mortgage advertisements that they say are deceptive. The CFPB and the FTC worked together to review roughly 800 mortgage ads. These ads were produced by entities involved…
POM Loses a Round in Its Advertising Dispute With FTC, But Battle Continues
Oct 11, 2012
POM Loses a Round in Its Advertising Dispute With FTC, But Battle Continues
POM Wonderful LLC recently received a setback in its longstanding dispute with the Federal Trade Commission. On Sept. 30, 2012, U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts in the District of Columbia dismissed the juice maker’s declaratory judgment action against the FTC. The judge’s ruling, though, does not put an end to the POM-FTC battle, which is…
‘Results Will Vary,’ But FTC’s Cases Against Weight-Loss Companies Remain the Same
Oct 4, 2012
‘Results Will Vary,’ But FTC’s Cases Against Weight-Loss Companies Remain the Same
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced a settlement with Jason Pharmaceuticals regarding its use of consumer testimonials and health benefits claims. Any company that relies on testimonials in its advertising, even a company that like Jason Pharmaceuticals, sells products that often have beneficial health results, must become aware of this settlement. Jason Pharmaceuticals sells Medifast…
