Eight Puerto Rico Kidney Doctors Settle FTC Price-Fixing Charges

Eight independent nephrologists in Puerto Rico have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that they illegally collectively bargained with insurers and refused to treat health plan patients when their price demands were rebuffed. Under a proposed order settling the FTC’s charges, the doctors are barred from jointly negotiating prices, jointly refusing to deal with any insurer, […]

Edith Ramirez to Lead the Federal Trade Commission

President Barack Obama intends to designate Edith Ramirez as Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission effective Monday, March 4, 2013.  She takes over for outgoing Chairman Jon Leibowitz, who has served in the position since March 2, 2009. “I am deeply honored at the opportunity to lead the Federal Trade Commission.  I look forward to […]

FTC Returns More than $685,000 to Victims of “Real Wealth” Work-at-Home and Grant Scam

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 50,365 refund checks totaling more than $685,000 to consumers who were victimized by a bogus work-at-home and grant scam.  As part of a February 2010 law enforcement crackdown, the FTC took action against Real Wealth and other schemes, alleging that they took advantage of the economic downturn to bilk […]

FTC Releases Top 10 Complaint Categories for 2012

Identity theft is once more the top complaint received by the Federal Trade Commission, which has released its 2012 annual report of complaints. 2012 marks the first year in which the FTC received more than 2 million complaints overall, and 369,132, or 18 percent, were related to identity theft. Of those, more than 43 percent […]

Comment Period Remains Open for FTC Data Collection Workshop

The Federal Trade Commission reminds members of the public that the period for submitting comments on its recent comprehensive data collection workshop remains open until March 8. The workshop, held in December, explored practices and privacy implications of comprehensive collection of data about consumers’ online activities. An archive of the workshop, including agendas, video and […]

FTC Warns Veterans: Be Wary of Free Pension Advice

The Federal Trade Commission warns veterans and their families:  Be wary of dishonest advisers offering “free” help with paperwork for pension claims. Unscrupulous lawyers, financial planners and insurance agents advise veterans over 65 to transfer their assets to a trust, or to invest in insurance products, so they can qualify for Aid and Attendance benefits.  […]

FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges Against Compete, Inc.

Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that Compete, Inc. violated the Federal Trade Commission Act by using its web-tracking software that collected personal information without disclosing the extent of the information it was collecting through its products and third party web tools. The FTC complaint […]

HTC America Settles FTC Charges It Failed to Secure Millions of Mobile Devices Shipped to Consumers

Mobile device manufacturer HTC America has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the company failed to take reasonable steps to secure the software it developed for its smartphones and tablet computers, introducing security flaws that placed sensitive information about millions of consumers at risk. The settlement requires HTC America to develop and release […]

FTC to Host Public Forum on Threats to Mobile Devices on June 4

The Federal Trade Commission will host a one-day public forum on June 4, 2013 addressing malware, viruses and similar threats facing users of smartphones and other mobile technologies. As the use of mobile technology increases at a rapid rate and consumers take advantage of the technology’s benefits in large numbers, it is important to address […]

FTC Seeks Public Comments on Proposed Freedom of Information Act Fee Changes; Also Publishes Final Rule Making the FOIA Process More Transparent to the Public

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a Federal Register notice seeking public comment on proposed amendments to the agency’s fee rule and accompanying fee schedule for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The proposed changes would also apply to fees for producing Commission information and records to members of the public through the Consumer Response […]