http://www.ftc.gov/rss/text/prall.xml Speeches, news, and information from the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. The FTC's Bureau of Competition seeks to prevent business practices that restrain competition. http://www.ftc.gov/images/seal01c.gif en-us Federal Government Wednesday, 15 October 2008 10:00:00 +0000 Wednesday, 15 October 2008 10:00:00 +0000 Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is hosting a Town Hall meeting on medical identity theft at the Federal Trade Commission's satellite building in Washington, DC. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/medid.shtm Tuesday, 14 October 2008 13:00:00 +0000 A U.S. district court has ordered a halt to the operations of a vast international spam network that peddled prescription drugs and bogus male-enhancement products. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/herbalkings.shtm Tuesday, 14 October 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Event to be Held at Fordham University School of Law on October 24, 2008 http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/ftcat100ny.shtm Friday, 10 October 2008 17:00:00 +0000 Event to be Held at Boston University School of Management on October 14, 2008 http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/ftcat100.shtm Thursday, 9 October 2008 13:00:00 +0000 Commission Order Bars Company from Enforcing Non-Compete Agreement with its Retail Golf Merchandise Competitor http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/dickssg.shtm Thursday, 9 October 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Online scammers are taking advantage of tough economic times. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/bankphishing.shtm Wednesday, 8 October 2008 11:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission announced today that Joel Winston, Associate Director for Privacy and Identity Protection in the agency's Bureau of Consumer Protection, has received the 2008 Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/jwinston.shtm Tuesday, 7 October 2008 10:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission will host a free two-day Fraud Forum on February 25 and 26, 2009, in Washington, DC. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/fraud.shtm Monday, 6 October 2008 11:00:00 +0000 A federal judge has banned Kevin Trudeau from infomercials in which he has an interest for three years and ordered him to pay more than $5 million in profits from his book, "The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About." http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/trudeau.shtm Monday, 6 October 2008 11:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission today announced the agenda and panelists for its upcoming workshop on Section 5 of the FTC Act. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/section5.shtm Thursday, 2 October 2008 14:00:00 +0000 Commission Order Requires Divestiture of Specialty Epoxy Business and Certain Conduct Restrictions to Preserve Competition http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/hexion.shtm Thursday, 2 October 2008 11:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission and the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dedman School of Law will host a half-day public workshop in Dallas on Thursday, November 13, 2008, on how businesses can better secure personal information and protect the privacy of consumers and employees. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/datasecwksp.shtm Wednesday, 1 October 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Defendant Charged with Two Telemarketing Sales Rule Violations http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/glenpatten.shtm Wednesday, 1 October 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Makeover Marks National Cyber Security Awareness Month http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/onguard.shtm Tuesday, 30 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Marketers of a weight-loss patch have agreed to pay $110,539 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated two 2004 consent orders by continuing to make false claims that their product causes substantial weight loss and weight loss in all users. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/patchnr.shtm Thursday, 25 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Four debt-negotiation companies have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated federal law by falsely claiming they could reduce consumers' debt by up to 60 percent, leading many people into financial ruin and bankruptcy. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/nss.shtm Thursday, 25 September 2008 10:00:00 +0000 Commission Takes Actions That Are of Practical Benefit to the Small-business Community http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/smallbiz.shtm Tuesday, 23 September 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission announced today that the agency has received the 2008 HP/IAPP Privacy Innovation Award for excellence in protecting personally identifiable information. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/privacyaward.shtm Tuesday, 23 September 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission staff will hold a workshop on September 25, 2008, to explore the growth of the for-profit debt settlement industry and to analyze how this model is affecting consumers and businesses. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/debtwksp.shtm Tuesday, 23 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order and letters to the commenters of record in the matter concerning Negotiated Data Solutions, LLC. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/nds.shtm Tuesday, 23 September 2008 10:30:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission today testified before two subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee about the results of an FTC study released in July on food marketing to children and adolescents. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/foodmarketing.shtm Friday, 22 September 2008 13:30:00 +0000 Transatlantic RFID Workshop on Consumer Privacy and Data Security http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/rfidma.shtm Friday, 22 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission has charged a Florida couple with violating federal law by deceiving consumers into believing that their homes could be saved from foreclosure in return for a fee. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/uhsnfs.shtm Friday, 22 September 2008 10:00:00 +0000 Settlement is First Resulting from Cases Brought in 'Operation Tele-PHONEY' Sweep http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/tsrdnc.shtm Friday, 19 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Commission approval of public comment period extension - The Commission has approved the publication of a Federal Register notice extending the pubic comment period related to the current regulatory review of the Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule (Used Car Rule) through November 19, 2008. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/ucrsun.shtm Thursday, 18 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Public Education Campaign Counsels Consumers, "Talk to Your Doctor" http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/boguscures.shtm Wednesday, 17 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Commission Launches Public Education Campaign http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/cancercures2.shtm Tuesday, 16 September 2008 14:00:00 +0000 To Preserve Competition, Order Requires Divestiture of Assets Related to ChoicePoint’s AutoTrackXP and CLEAR Electronic Public Records Services http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/choicepoint.shtm Tuesday, 16 September 2008 13:00:00 +0000 Application for approval of proposed divestiture - The Commission has received an application for approval of a proposed divestiture from Chicago Bridge and Iron Company N.V. and Chicago Bridge and Iron Company (collectively CB and I). Commission approval of final consent order - Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order in the matter concerning McCormick and Company and Unilever Group. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/cbimcc.shtm Tuesday, 16 September 2008 10:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that the FTC would continue to take aggressive steps to combat the deceptive marketing of prepaid phone cards, and that pending legislation would benefit consumers by providing "an additional remedy to those already available to the Commission." http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/prepaidcc.shtm Monday, 15 September 2008 13:00:00 +0000 Commission Order Prevents Fresenius From Inflating Medicare Reimbursement Rates for Dialysis Drug http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/fresenius.shtm Monday, 15 September 2008 13:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission will be working with the Department of Energy (DOE) and state regulatory agencies to ensure consumers are being treated fairly in the wake of hurricanes Ike and Gustav. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/ikestmt.shtm Monday, 15 September 2008 13:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission urges consumers to be cautious of potential charity scams in connection with the damage caused by hurricanes Ike and Gustav along the Gulf Coast and in the Midwest. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/ikecharity.shtm Monday, 15 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Commission Launches Public Education Campaign http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/cancercures.shtm Friday, 12 September 2008 17:30:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission has advice for people who find themselves in the path of Hurricane Ike. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/ike.shtm Friday, 12 September 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Agencies Say CON Laws Undercut Consumer Choice, Stifle Innovation and Weaken Markets' Ability to Contain Health Care Costs http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/illcon.shtm Friday, 12 September 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Textual Changes Made to Paragraph II.A.2 to Ensure Consistency with Fifth Circuit Opinion http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/ntsp.shtm Friday, 12 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 The Commission has approved an extension of time under the order it issued concerning Linde AG, et al.'s acquisition of The BOC Group. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/lindeag.shtm Thursday, 11 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission provided testimony today before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection regarding H.R. 1776, legislation entitled the "Call Center Consumer's Right to Know Act." http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/callcenter.shtm Wednesday, 10 September 2008 13:30:00 +0000 Conduct Allegedly Harms Competition in North American Markets for Battery Separators http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/polypore.shtm Wednesday, 10 September 2008 12:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission announced today that the agency returned approximately $12.7 million to consumers this week from a settlement with Andris Pukke and his companies, AmeriDebt, Inc. and DebtWorks, Inc. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/ameridebt.shtm Wednesday, 10 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 The Commission today announced an extension of the public comment period for the recently issued Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on petroleum industry market manipulation. The Commission posted the NPRM on the FTC’s Web site on August 13, 2008. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/nprm.shtm Wednesday, 10 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Half-Day Event to be Held in Washington, DC, on October 23, 2008 http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/hsrwksp.shtm Wednesday, 10 September 2008 10:30:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission charged two credit repair marketers with violating federal law by collecting advance payment for credit repair services and falsely promising to remove derogatory information from consumers' credit reports - even if the information is accurate and not obsolete. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/lhcr.shtm Wednesday, 10 September 2008 10:00:00 +0000 The Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that while the FTC will continue its aggressive law enforcement and consumer education programs in the prepaid calling card arena, pending legislation would benefit consumers by providing "an additional remedy to those already available to the Commission." http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/ppcfraud.shtm Tuesday, 9 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 The Bear Stearns Companies, LLC and its subsidiary, EMC Mortgage Corporation, have agreed to pay $28 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they engaged in unlawful practices in servicing consumers’ home mortgage loans. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/emc.shtm Monday, 8 September 2008 14:30:00 +0000 Today the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) independently issued a report on Section 2 of the Sherman Act, the statute that protects Americans from predatory or monopolistic harm. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/section2.shtm Friday, 5 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Commission approval of final consent orders – Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order in the matter concerning We Give Loans, Inc., and Aliyah Associates LLC, d/b/a AmericanAdvance.com. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/wegiveloans.shtm Thursday, 4 September 2008 13:30:00 +0000 Event to be Held at Northwestern University School of Law on September 25, 2008 http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/ftcat100.shtm Thursday, 4 September 2008 11:00:00 +0000 September 15 is the last day for eligible consumers who purchased Airborne products over a six-year period to apply for refunds. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/airborne.shtm Tuesday, 2 September 2008 15:00:00 +0000 Norman Armstrong, Jr. Named Acting Deputy Director http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/09/bcchanges.shtm