FTC: Start the New Year Right by Saying We Don’t Serve Teens

A new year is arriving, and with it a familiar problem – New Year’s Eve is often an occasion for teens to obtain access to alcohol, typically through family members or parents of friends. Teens who drink risk their safety and health, and the adults who provide the alcohol also risk heavy fines and possibly […]

Give Well: FTC Provides Tips on Giving Wisely This Holiday Season

For Your Information December 28, 2007 The holiday season is a time for giving – especially to those in need – and many charities are hard at work this time of year. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, offers the following tips to help you make the most of your charitable donations […]

FTC Issues Staff Report on Malicious Spam and Phishing

In a new report, the Federal Trade Commission staff describes findings from its July 2007 workshop, “Spam Summit: The Next Generation of Threats and Solutions” and proposes follow-up action steps that stakeholders can adopt to mitigate the harmful effects of malicious spam and phishing. In addition to proposing action steps for stakeholders, the report provides […]

Commission Announces Issuance of Information Requests to Generic and Authorized Generic Drug Companies; FTC Approves Proposed Divestiture in Matter of SCI and Alderwoods Group; Commission Approves Proposed Divestiture in Matter of Kyphon, Inc.

Commission issuance of information requests: The Commission has issued information requests to generic and authorized generic drug manufacturers and marketers as part of its ongoing study of the short- and long-term effects of authorized generics on pharmaceutical drug competition. The current set of information requests follows the issuance of corresponding information requests to branded drug […]

FTC Stops Deceptive Health Conferences and Sales of Supposed Herbal Tea Cure-All

The Federal Trade Commission has stopped a father, his two sons, and their network of companies from deceptively selling a healthcare business opportunity with false promises of earning up to a million dollars in profits. In addition, the FTC has halted their sale of an herbal tea product, marketed with claims that it could prevent, […]

Federal Trade Commission Closes Google/DoubleClick Investigation

The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it will not seek to block Google Inc.’s proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of Internet advertising server DoubleClick Inc. In a 4-1 vote to close its eight-month investigation of the transaction, the Commission wrote in its majority statement that “after carefully reviewing the evidence, we have concluded that Google’s […]

FTC Staff Proposes Online Behavioral Advertising Privacy Principles

To address important consumer privacy concerns associated with online behavioral advertising, the staff of the Federal Trade Commission today released a set of proposed principles to guide the development of self-regulation in this evolving area. Behavioral advertising is the tracking of a consumer’s activities online – including the searches the consumer has conducted, the Web […]

Undercover Funeral Home Inspections in Nine States Yield Mixed Results; FTC Reminds Providers They Must Give Price Lists to Consumers

The Federal Trade Commission today announced that in 2007, law enforcement sweeps of 174 funeral homes in nine states found significant violations of the FTC’s Funeral Rule at 26 funeral homes and minor compliance deficiencies at 66 others. “Consumers making funeral arrangements are entitled to price information by phone and a written price list at […]

Financial Literacy: A Sound Investment National Consumer Protection Week Moves to March

Mark your calendars: the 10th annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), a week to highlight consumer protection and education efforts across the country, will take place from March 2 to March 8, 2008. This year’s theme, “Financial Literacy: A Sound Investment” encourages consumers to take steps to build a firm financial foundation. During NCPW, federal, […]

FTC Obtains $1.1 Million Civil Penalty for Pre-Merger Filing Violations

The Federal Trade Commission today announced a federal district court action against ValueAct Capital Partners, L.P. alleging violations related to the acquisitions of stock of three companies that required filings with the government under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Premerger Notification Act. In settling the Commission’s charges, ValueAct, an investment firm based in San Francisco, will pay […]