Here are recent announcements relating to the work of the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch: January 27, 2015 Peruvian Man Sentenced for Defrauding and Extorting Spanish-Speaking U.S. Residents through Fraudulent Call Centers January 21, 2015 United States Files Enforcement Action against Texas Debt Collection Company, Current President and Former Vice President to Stop Deceptive […]
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Even when names and other personal information have been stripped from big data sets, as few as four pieces of random information may be enough to identify a specific person, according to a study to be published soon in the journal Science. The magazine explains: [The scientists] analyzed 3 months of credit card transactions, chronicling […]
That's the title of this article by Anahad O'Connor. Here's an excerpt: Companies are increasingly adding vitamins and minerals to juices, sports drinks and bottled water, responding to a growing consumer demand for these products. Even though the amounts of added nutrients in these drinks are typically small, some nutrition scientists are concerned that through […]
by Steve Gardner The DC Circuit just issued its opinion in POM’s appeal of the FTC’s excellent order against POM for some of its marketing practices. The opinion is 45 pages long, so let me provide the Court’s own summary of the opinion: The FTC Act proscribes—and the First Amendment does not protect—deceptive and misleading […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau yesterday proposed changes to its mortgage rules "to facilitate responsible lending by small creditors, particularly in rural and underserved areas," according to the CFPB press release. If finalized, the rule will increase the number of financial institutions able to offer certain types of mortgages in rural and underserved areas. The […]
We've previously discussed the pending Supreme Court case King v. Burwell, in which the Supreme Court will consider whether the subsidies Obamacare provides to low-income purchasers of health insurance will be drastically cut back. Earlier this week, Brian discussed the government's brief in the case. Now the government's position is garnering support from some quarters […]
From Politico: The White House is preparing to send a sweeping online privacy proposal to Congress that would restrict how companies like Google and Facebook handle consumer data while greatly expanding the power of the Federal Trade Commission to police abuses — ideas that are likely to incite strong opposition in Congress. The forthcoming measure […]
News outlets have covered the prospect of legislation to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and undo reforms of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. See, for example, here, here, and here. The new Congress, however, is also considering a variety of other bills that would impact consumer protection. The National Consumer […]
by Jeff Sovern Two weeks ago, as Scott posted, the Supreme Court decided Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., holding that consumers may rescind under the Truth in Lending Act by so notifying the lender, and that the statute does not require the consumer to file a lawsuit to rescind. So you might think that […]
Last week, the FTC filed a complaint in a Texas federal court against Commercial Recovery Systems for threatening consumers that unless they paid their debts, they would be sued or have their wages garnished. The problem? These representations weren't true. As the FTC's press release details: According to the complaint, since at least 2010, CRS’s […]