It’s Identity Theft Awareness Week, Jan. 29-Feb. 2. The Federal Trade Commission says this week it “will host free podcasts, webinars, Facebook Live interviews, and other events focused on avoiding and recovering from identity theft and spotting scams.” Join the FTC in spreading helpful information for consumers on social media.
Author Archives: Christine Hines
In a recent blog post, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offered a quick overview of its 2023 enforcement work. The agency reported that it filed 29 enforcement actions against financial institutions and resolved six prior lawsuits. Lenders, banks, and other entities that broke the law were ordered to pay approximately $3.07 billion to consumers and […]
The Federal Trade Commission issued an order delaying the effective date of the recently released rule that seeks to provide protections for car buyers against some of the more prevalent deceptive practices in car sales. The Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) rule, originally set to become final on July 30, is now pushed back pending […]
The Federal Trade Commission on January 4 published in the Federal Register its final rule to rein in widespread unfair and deceptive auto dealer practices. The next day, Reuters reported that the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and the Texas Automobile Dealers Association filed a petition before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals seeking review […]
In its battle to rein the coordinated system facilitating illegal robocalls, the Federal Trade Commission announced a proposed order against a lead generator, which the agency charged with deceptively collecting consumers’ information and then selling their data to telemarketers…leading to harassing calls. The announced proposed order would ban California-based Response Tree LLC and its president […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week published two reports that show fees on financial products continue to shock consumers. Overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees still trouble vulnerable households. Excess charges from some college-marketed financial products still don’t appear to be in the best interest of students. In building on its continued research on overdraft […]
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, owner of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, filed a lawsuit this week in Washington, DC challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Trade Commission. The complaint questions FTC’s longstanding structure and processes, including the agency’s administrative proceedings, its executive authority (although it is led by presidentially-nominated and Congressionally-confirmed commissioners), and its authority to protect […]
The Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission recently released notices to gather information on the use of advanced technologies in consumer sectors that the regulators oversee. The FCC announced that it is exploring emerging AI technologies and their connection to its work to protect consumers from unwanted and illegal calls and text messages […]
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan is featured in a Politico piece published today on the growing antitrust movement and its popularity with law students. Possibly the line of the piece: “Critics have called it “hipster” antitrust, but make no mistake: Antitrust is hip.” Chair Khan is also scheduled to speak Nov. 10 at Federalist […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau just announced a proposed rule under section 1033 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to address personal financial data rights that would ensure consumers have certain protections and control over their information. Among other things the rule would: Require financial institutions to share data with other entities at […]