More than two months after it was first reported that the Federal Trade Commission was thinking about launching an investigation into antitrust concerns surrounding Google, it looks like the FTC might be ready to start probing in earnest by issuing formal demands for information from the search engine behemoth. [More]
ftc
FTC Sues People Behind "Winning In The Cash Flow Business" Infomercial
By 6.3.11
For the last decade, the late-night TV airwaves have been home to a series of infomercials hawking a get rich quick system called “Winning in the Cash Flow Business,” in which some guy named Russell Dalbey explains over and over again how easy it is to make money by finding, brokering, and earning commissions on seller-financed promissory notes. Now, the FTC and the attorney general of Colorado are calling Dalbey’s bluff, suing him and his partners for allegedly defrauding an awful lot of insomniacs. [More]
Help The FTC Update Its Guidance For Internet Advertisers
By 5.27.11
The Federal Trade Commission has announced plans to update its “Dot Com Disclosures,” the guidelines it uses to tell businesses how federal advertising laws apply to the internet. The document was originally published in 2000, and the FTC admits that the “online world has changed dramatically” since then. [More]
Senators Ask FTC To Investigate Possible Price Fixing By Oil Refiners
By 5.17.11
Even though the U.S. Attorney General has already begun an inter-agency investigation into the manipulation of oil prices, three senators have asked the Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and Consumerist pal, to investigate possible price fixing by this country’s oil refiners. [More]
Advertisers Fire Back At Government Over Proposed Food Marketing Guidelines
By 4.29.11
Yesterday we wrote about the proposed guidelines put forth by a federal interagency working group regarding the marketing of food to children. The “principles” asked for food companies to market products with healthier ingredients and gave suggested limits on things like fat and sodium. The ad industry is less-than-pleased by the news. [More]
Government Proposes New Guidelines For Marketing Food To Kids
By 4.28.11
Earlier today, an interagency working group consisting of folks from the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, and the Dept. of Agriculture, issued a set of “proposed voluntary principles” it hopes the food industry will ultimately adopt in its marketing to the youth of America. [More]
FTC Cracks Down On Fake News Sites Shilling For Acai Berries
By 4.20.11
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is taking a harsh legal stand against 10 companies and individuals marketing acai berry weight-loss products online by using fake news websites which imply endorsement from major media outlets — including our sibling publication Consumer Reports. [More]
VIDEO: FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz Chats With Consumerist
By 4.13.11
Earlier today, Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz visited the Consumer Reports compound in Yonkers, NY. While there, Consumerist’s Executive Editor Meghann Marco managed to score a sit-down interview with him. [More]
Help Us Out With Questions For FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz
By 4.12.11
Tomorrow, Consumerist Executive Editor Meghann Marco will be sitting down for a chat with Jon Leibowitz, chair of the Federal Trade Commission. And after the two are done discussing the NBA playoffs, they’ll get around to more relevant issues. That’s where we’re seeking your guidance. [More]
Report: FTC Considering Giving Google A Good Probing
By 4.5.11
Less than a week after Google reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over its Google Buzz privacy debacle comes a report that the FTC is ready to probe the internet giant once more, this time over antitrust concerns regarding its search engine. [More]
FTC Looking Into Kids Racking Up In-App Purchase
By 2.24.11
After stories came out like the 8-year-old girl who ran up a $1400 iTunes bill buying Smurberries inside the “Smurf Village” game for iPad, the Washington Post reports the FTC has said that it is going to look at how in-app purchases are marketed and delivered. [More]
Consumers Group Asks FTC To Stop Misleading Vitaminwater Marketing
By 2.2.11
Sick of seeing Vitaminwater continue to market itself as some sort of health drink, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, the National Consumers League has called on the Federal Trade Commission to intervene and put an end to what it believes are Vitaminwater’s deceptive practices. [More]
FTC Wants To Ban Mortgage Mod Services From Charging Up-Front Fees
By 12.30.10
To combat mortgage relief fraud, the FTC would like to make a new rule that would ban mortgage modification services from charging up-front fees. “Homeowners facing foreclosure or struggling to make mortgage payments shouldn’t have to contend with fraudulent ‘companies’ that don’t provide what they promise,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement. “The proposed rule would outlaw up-front fees so companies can’t take the money and run.” Indeed, there are some shady operators in this area and consumers need to beware. [More]
FTC: Dannon Agrees To Stop Selling Activia As Cure For Irregularity
By 12.15.10
More than a year after settling a class-action lawsuit over false advertising claims, Dannon has finally settled a separate but related complaint from the Federal Trade Commission. As a result, the company says it will no longer market unproven health benefits of its Activia and DanActive yogurts. [More]
FTC Proposes "Do Not Track" Option For Web Browsing
By 12.1.10
Wary of surfing the web because you don’t want any of your information or browsing habits being shared with the world? The folks at the Federal Trade Commission apparently understand your concerns and have proposed new regulations that would let users decide which sites and advertisers can track their online behavior. [More]
FTC Squashes Payday Site For Putting $54.95 Charge For Empty Debit Card In Fine Print
By 10.6.10
You’re broke. How would you like a $54.95 debit card? It’s empty, but if you ever do get any money, you can put up to $2,500 on it. Yay. If that doesn’t sound like a bargain, it’s no wonder that one internet marketer of payday loan referral sites was hiding the fact that he was signing you up for these dodo cards via a pre-checked checkbox on the signup form, and the FTC smacked him down for it. [More]
FTC Says POM Wonderful Not So Great
By 9.28.10
The FTC wants to see some proof that the pomegranate ingredients in POM Wonderful’s products can actually treat heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction, which is what the company says in marketing and packaging materials. [More]
Mugging Alarms On ATMs Are Expensive And Useless
By 9.22.10
Anti-robbery systems at ATMs, like an alarm button button or a PIN code used to alert police you’re getting mugged, are rarely installed on the cash disgorgers, and with good reason. [More]
