FTC International Monthly

February

• Statement Regarding the Termination of Amazon’s Proposed Acquisition of iRobot
• FTC Sues to Block Novant Health’s Acquisition of Two Hospitals from Community Health Systems
• As Nationwide Fraud Losses Top $10 Billion in 2023, FTC Steps up Efforts To Protect the Public
• Court Rules Against Defendants the FTC Charged with Deceiving Consumers into Buying Bogus Health Care Plans

January

• Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department Hold Trilateral Meeting with Competition Enforcers from Mexico and Canada
• Statement on FTC Win Securing Temporary Block of IQVIA’s Acquisition of Propel Media
• FTC Order Prohibits Data Broker X-Mode Social and Outlogic from Selling Sensitive Location Data
• Rite Aid Banned from Using AI Facial Recognition After FTC Says Retailer Deployed Technology without Reasonable Safeguards

• FTC and DOJ Release 2023 Merger Guidelines
• Illumina To Divest Cancer Detection Test Maker GRAIL After Unanimous Appeals Court Ruling Supporting FTC Determination That the Acquisition Threatened Competition
• FTC Acts Against Operators of Income Scheme “The Sales Mentor” That Charged Consumers Millions for Bogus Telemarketing Advice
• FTC, California Obtain Order Against DNA Testing Firm over Charges It Made Myriad Misrepresentations to Consumers To Entice Them To Buy Ancestry Reports

• FTC Reports on Efforts To Combat Cross-Border Fraud and Ransomware Attacks
• FTC Sends Nearly $100 Million in Refunds to Vonage Consumers Who Were Trapped in Subscriptions by Dark Patterns and Junk Fees
• FTC, DOJ Meet with G7 Enforcement Partners To Discuss Competition in Digital Markets
• FTC Challenges More Than 100 Patents As Improperly Listed in the FDA’s Orange Book

• FTC Sues Amazon for Illegally Maintaining Monopoly Power
• FTC, Department of Labor Partner to Protect Workers from Anticompetitive, Unfair, and Deceptive Practices
• FTC Proposes Rule to Ban Junk Fees
• FTC Joins FCC in Renewing Memorandum of Understanding to Promote Cross-Border Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat Spam, Scams, and Illegal Telemarketing

• Administrative Law Judge Issues Favorable Initial Decision in FTC’s Case Against Intuit Inc.
• FTC Action Stops Business Opportunity Scheme That Promised Its AI-Boosted Tools Would Power High Earnings Through Online Stores
• Biopharmaceutical Giant Amgen To Settle FTC and State Challenges to its Horizon Therapeutics Acquisition
• FTC Secures Settlement with ICE and Black Knight Resolving Antitrust Concerns in Mortgage Technology Deal

• FTC Reaches Proposed Settlement with Surescripts in Illegal Monopolization Case Involving a Digital Platform 
• CooperCompanies Abandons Attempted Acquisition of Cook Medical’s Reproductive Health Business
• FTC Takes Action Against Makers of Sobrenix Supplement That Deceptively Claimed To Reduce Alcohol Cravings, Relied on Fake Endorsements
• Operators of “Blessing Loom” Scheme Banned from Multi-Level Marketing As a Result of Pyramid Scheme Charges Brought by the FTC and Arkansas

• FTC and DOJ Seek Comment on Draft Merger Guidelines
• FTC, Law Enforcers Nationwide Announce Enforcement Sweep To Stem the Tide of Illegal Telemarketing Calls to U.S. Consumers
• FTC Takes Action Against Publishers Clearing House for Misleading Consumers About Sweepstakes Entries
• FTC Announces Proposed Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials

• FTC Warns About Misuses of Biometric Information and Harm to Consumers
• Ovulation Tracking App Premom Will Be Barred from Sharing Health Data for Advertising Under Proposed FTC Order
• U.S. Agencies Issue Summary of Joint Pharmaceutical Merger Analysis Workshop
• Boston Scientific and M.I. Tech Abandon Proposed Transaction

• FTC Chair Khan and Officials from DOJ, CFPB, and EEOC Release Joint Statement on AI
• FTC Proposes Blanket Prohibition Preventing Facebook from Monetizing Youth Data
• FTC Staff Seeks Court Order Preventing Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. from Consummating Its Acquisition of Rival Black Knight Pending Agency Administrative Challenge
• FTC Releases Agenda for May 23 Workshop on “Recyclable” Claims

• FTC, DOJ Host Second Annual Enforcers Summit
• FTC Requires Illumina To Divest Cancer Detection Test Maker GRAIL
• FTC Proposes Rule Provision Making It Easier for Consumers To “Click To Cancel” Recurring Subscriptions and Memberships
• FTC Issues Orders to Social Media and Video Streaming Platforms Regarding Efforts To Address Surge in Advertising for Fraudulent Products and Scams

• FTC To Ban BetterHelp from Revealing Consumers’ Data, Including Sensitive Mental Health Information, to Facebook and Others for Targeted Advertising
• FTC Takes Action Against doTERRA Distributors for False COVID-19 Health Claims
• FTC and DOJ Host APEC Workshop on Competition Advocacy
• FTC Acts To Block Deal Combining the Two Top Mortgage Loan Technology Providers

• FTC Hosts Forum Examining Proposed Rule To Ban Noncompete Clauses
• FTC Asks Federal Court To Hold ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli in Contempt
• More Than $115 Million in Refunds Sent to Consumers As a Result of FTC, DOJ Charges That MoneyGram Failed To Crack Down on Scams
• FTC Order Requires HomeAdvisor To Pay up to $7.2 Million and Stop Deceptively Marketing Its Leads for Home Improvement Projects

• Fortnite Video Game Maker Epic Games To Pay More Than Half a Billion Dollars over FTC Allegations of Privacy Violations and Unwanted Charges
• FTC Proposes Rule To Ban Noncompete Clauses, Which Hurt Workers and Harm Competition
• New FTC Analysis Shows Adults Under 60 Report Losses to Online Shopping Scams, Investment Scams More Than Older Adults
• FTC Orders an End to Illegal Mastercard Business Tactics and Requires It To Stop Blocking Competing Debit Card Payment Networks

• FTC Seeks To Block Microsoft Corp.’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc.
• FTC, States Sue Google and iHeartMedia for Deceptive Ads Promoting the Pixel 4 Smartphone
• FTC Acts To Stop Deceptive COVID-19 Advertising Claims by Precision Patient Outcomes, Inc.
• FTC Explores Changes, Possible Expansion of Its Business Opportunity Rule

• FTC Action Against Vonage Results in $100 Million to Customers Trapped by Illegal Dark Patterns and Junk Fees When Trying To Cancel Service
• FTC Restores Rigorous Enforcement of Law Banning Unfair Methods of Competition
• FTC Issues Annual Report to Congress on Agency’s Actions To Protect Older Adults
• FTC Seeks Public Comment on Initiative To Reduce Energy Costs and Strengthen Right-To-Repair

• FTC Chair Lina M. Khan Testifies Before Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights
• New Mexico Physician Association To Pay $263,000 Civil Penalty To Settle FTC Allegations That It Violated 2005 Order
• FTC, California Take Action To Shut Down Mortgage Relief Operation That Preyed on Struggling Homeowners
• FTC, Justice Department, and European Commission Hold Their Second US-EU Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue

• FTC Holds Public Forum on Commercial Surveillance and Lax Data Security Practices To Help Inform FTC Initiative Aimed at Determining Whether New Rules Are Needed To Protect Consumer Privacy
• FTC Sues Kochava for Selling Data That Tracks People at Reproductive Health Clinics, Places of Worship, and Other Sensitive Locations
• FTC and Justice Department Hold Trilateral Meetings with Competition Enforcers from Mexico and Canada
• FTC Policy Paper Warns About Pitfalls of COPA Agreements for Patient Care and Healthcare Workers

• FTC Seeks To Block Virtual Reality Giant Meta’s Acquisition of Popular App Creator Within
• FTC, National Labor Relations Board Forge New Partnership To Protect Workers from Anticompetitive, Unfair, and Deceptive Practices
• FTC Returning Almost $25 Million to Consumers Worldwide Who Were Defrauded by Next-Gen Sweepstakes Scheme
• FTC Takes Action To Stop Online Home Buying Firm Opendoor Labs, Inc. from Cheating Potential Sellers with Misleading Claims About Its Home-Buying Service

• FTC Sues Walmart for Facilitating Money Transfer Fraud That Fleeced Customers Out of Hundreds of Millions
• As Energy Prices Rise, FTC Prevails in Deceptive Energy-Efficiency Case
• FTC Marks One-Year Anniversary of Government-Wide Initiative To Promote Competition in the American Economy
• FTC Takes Action To Protect Pet Owners from Private Equity Firm’s Rollup of Veterinary Services Clinics

• FTC Sues To Block Healthcare Mergers
• FTC Protects Pet Owners from Private Equity Firm’s Anticompetitive Acquisition of Veterinary Services Clinics
• FTC Charges Twitter with Deceptively Using Account Security Data To Sell Targeted Ads
• FTC To Crack Down on Companies That Illegally Surveil Children Learning Online

• FTC Chair Khan Delivers Keynote at 21st ICN Annual Conference
• FTC Takes Action To Stop Voice over Internet Provider from Facilitating Illegal Telemarketing Robocalls, Including Scams Relating to the Pandemic
• FTC Takes Action Against Frontier for Lying About Internet Speeds and Ripping Off Customers Who Paid High-Speed Prices for Slow Service
• FTC Proposes Small Business Protections Against Telemarketing Tricks and Traps

• FTC and DOJ Antitrust Division Host Enforcers Summit
• FTC and Justice Department Launch Listening Forums on Firsthand Effects of Mergers and Acquisitions
• Court Rules That Fake Government Websites Deceived Consumers; Makes $102 Million in Refunds Available
• FTC Sues Intuit for Its Deceptive TurboTax “Free” Filing Campaign
• The FTC’s First Report on E-Cigarette Sales and Advertising Reveals Disturbing Trends Affecting the Health of Young Americans

• FTC Enforcement Action Leads U.S. Dept. of Education To Forgive $71.7 Million in Loans for Students Deceived by DeVry University
• Operators of Investment Coaching Scheme Banned from Industry and Ordered To Pay Millions in Redress to Defrauded Consumers
• Nvidia Corp. Abandons Vertical Transaction To Acquire Arm Ltd. in the Face of FTC Challenge
• Rhode Island’s Two Largest Healthcare Providers Terminate Attempted Merger Following Challenge by FTC and Rhode Island Attorney General
• New Data Shows FTC Received 2.8 Million Fraud Reports from Consumers in 2021

• Court Orders Lifetime Industry Ban Against “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli in Vyera Pharmaceuticals Matter Concerning Monopoly for Daraprim
• Lockheed Martin Abandons Vertical Acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Following FTC Challenge
• In Wake of Omicron Variant, FTC Orders More Marketers To Stop Falsely Claiming Their Products Can Effectively Prevent or Treat COVID-19
• Fashion Nova Will Pay $4.2 Million As Part of Settlement of FTC Allegations It Blocked Negative Reviews of Products

• FTC, DOJ Obtain Ban on Negative Option Marketing and $21 Million for Consumers Deceived by Background Report Provider MyLife
• FTC Returns Additional $25 Million to Consumers Who Lost Money to Business Coaching Scam
• FTC Order Protects Retail Fuel Customers Following Global Partners LP’s Acquisition of Wheels
• FTC and DOJ Hold Virtual Public Workshop Exploring Competition in Labor Markets

• FTC, States To Recoup Millions in Relief for Victims Fleeced by ‘Pharma Bro’ Scheme To Illegally Monopolize Life-Saving Drug Daraprim
• FTC, DOJ Antitrust Division, and European Commission Launch EU-U.S. Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue
• FTC Order Protects Retail Fuel Customers Following Global Partners LP’s Acquisition of Wheels
• FTC Chair Lina M. Khan Announces New Appointments in Agency Leadership Positions

• FTC To Ramp up Enforcement Against Illegal Dark Patterns That Trick or Trap Consumers into Subscriptions
• FTC Sues Nasal Spray Seller for Falsely Claiming Its Products Can Prevent and Treat COVID-19
• FTC To Restrict Future Acquisitions for Firms That Pursue Anticompetitive Mergers
• FTC Approves Fiscal Year 2020 Hart-Scott-Rodino Premerger Notification Report

• Alabama Board of Dental Examiners Settles Charges That It Unreasonably Excluded Lower Cost Online and Teledentistry Providers from Competition
• FTC Puts 700 Advertisers on Notice About Fake Reviews and Other Misleading Endorsements; Also Puts For-Profit Colleges on Notice of False Promise Crackdown
• FTC Testifies Before the Senate Special Committee on Aging About the Agency’s Work To Halt Practices That Prey on Older Americans
• FTC Chair Lina M. Khan Appoints Directors of Bureau of Competition and Bureau of Consumer Protection

• FTC Warns Health Apps and Connected Device Companies To Comply with Health Breach Notification Rule
• FTC Withdraws Vertical Merger Guidelines and Commentary
• FTC Staff Presents Report on Nearly a Decade of Unreported Acquisitions by the Biggest Technology Companies
• FTC Streamlines Consumer Protection and Competition Investigations in Eight Key Enforcement Areas To Enable Higher Caseload

• FTC Withdraws Action Against AbbVie After Supreme Court Limits FTC Power To Request Disgorgement
• LendingClub Agrees To Pay $18 Million To Settle FTC Charges That It Deceived Consumers with Hidden Fees and Misrepresentations
• FTC Testifies Before Congressional Subcommittee on Legislation To Modify the Commission’s Authority and Address Challenges Facing the Agency
• Acting BCP Director Sends Letter to Facebook Concerning the Company’s Misleading Claims Regarding Its Consent Decree with the FTC

• Lina M. Khan Sworn in As FTC Chair
• FTC Authorizes Investigations into Key Enforcement Priorities
• FTC Issues Rule To Deter Rampant Made in USA Fraud
• FTC and DOJ To Consider Revisions to Merger Guidelines in Response to President’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition

• FTC Returns Nearly $60 Million Resulting from Product-Hopping Scheme To Thwart Generic Entry into Opioid Addiction Drug Market
• EU Investigation Obviates Need for Injunction in DNA Sequencing Case
• FTC Data Shows Huge Spike in Cryptocurrency Investment Scams
• FTC Submits Annual Budget Request, Performance Plan, and Performance Report to Congress

• OECD Committee on Consumer Policy To Hold International Conference on Consumer Marketplace of the Future
• FTC Staff Report Highlights Agency’s Ongoing Efforts To Protect Consumers a Year into COVID-19 Pandemic
• FTC Acting Chairwoman Responds to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Eliminating FTC Authority To Recover Money for Consumers; Commission Asks Congress To Pass Legislation Reviving Authority
• ACCC Adding Additional Complaints to Consumer Sentinel Network

• Acting FTC Chairwoman Releases 2020 Annual Highlights
• FTC Obtains Court Order Banning Work-from-Home Scammer from Selling Business Opportunities and Using Robocalls
• FTC Announces Multilateral Working Group To Build a New Approach to Pharmaceutical Mergers
• FTC Acting Chairwoman Slaughter Announces New Rulemaking Group

• FTC Report Explores Agency’s International Role
• New FTC Data Show Massive Increase in Romance Scams, $304M in Losses
• FTC Launches Initiative To Encourage Lower-Income Communities To Report Fraud
• FTC Issues Annual Report on Ethanol Market Concentration 2020

• President Biden Names FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter Acting Chair, Replacing Departing FTC Chairman Joseph Simons
• Amazon To Pay $61.7 Million To Settle FTC Charges It Withheld Some Customer Tips from Amazon Flex Drivers
• FTC Brings First-Ever Cases Under the BOTS Act
• FTC Received 4.7 Million Complaints from Consumers in 2020 and Returned More Than $482 Million to Consumers

• FTC Seeks Data from Nine Social Media and Video Streaming Services About How They Collect, Use, and Present Information
• Developer of Popular Women’s Fertility-Tracking App Settles FTC Allegations That It Misled Consumers About the Disclosure of Their Health Data and Violated Privacy Shield Principles
• FTC Imposes Conditions on E. & J. Gallo Winery’s Acquisition of Assets from Constellation Brands, Inc.
• Bureau of Competition Publishes Blog Post on Ten Memorable Developments in 2020

• FTC Seeks Data from Nine Social Media and Video Streaming Services About How They Collect, Use, and Present Information
• As Scammers Leverage Pandemic Fears, FTC and Law Enforcement Partners Crack Down on Deceptive Income Schemes Nationwide
• FTC Sues Facebook for Illegal Monopolization
• FTC Chairman Addresses Firms’ Acquisitions of Emerging Competitive Threats.

• FTC Requires Zoom To Enhance Its Security Practices as Part of Settlement
• FTC Signs Updated Memorandum of Understanding with Nigerian Consumer Protection and Criminal Enforcement Authorities
• Court Issues Order Halting Operators of Fake Websites Claiming to Sell Clorox and Lysol Products
• FTC Releases FY 2020 National Do Not Call Registry Data Book

• International Competition Network Addresses Enforcement and Policy Challenges of the Digital Economy at United States-Hosted 19th Annual Conference
• FTC Expands Merger Retrospective Program
• Second Round of Refunds, Totaling $147 Million, Sent to Consumers As a Result of Multi-Agency Case Against Western Union
• Brazil’s SENACON Joins econsumer.gov

• International Competition Network Addresses Enforcement and Policy Challenges of the Digital Economy at United States-Hosted 19th Annual Conference
• U.S. Agencies Sign Antitrust Cooperation Framework with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and United Kingdom
• Court Orders $120 Million Judgment in Sanctuary Belize, the Largest Land Fraud Case in FTC History
• FTC Sends Letters Warning 20 More Marketers To Stop Making Unsupported COVID-19 Treatment Claims

• Save the Date - September 14-17 - for This Year's ICN Annual Conference, Co-hosted by the FTC and Department of Justice
• FTC Reports to Court That Volkswagen Returned More Than $9.5 Billion to Car Buyers Deceived by “Clean Diesel” Ad Campaign
• FTC and econsumer.gov Members Launch an Updated Website
• FTC Commissioners Testify at Senate Committee Oversight Hearing
• FTC Testifies Before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Efforts to Combat COVID-19 Scams

• FTC and DOJ Issue Antitrust Guidelines for Evaluating Vertical Mergers
• FTC Settles Two Privacy Shield Cases
• FTC Issues Staff Report on Made in USA Workshop, Seeks Comment on Proposed Labeling Rule
• FTC and DOJ Release FY 2019 Hart-Scott-Rodino Premerger Notification Report

• FTC Submits Comments on Telehealth During Pandemic
• FTC Issues More Warnings to Businesses About COVID-19 Claims
• Swiss Digital Game Developer Settles FTC Allegations That It Falsely Claimed It Was a Member of COPPA Safe Harbor Program
• Developer of Apps Popular with Children Agrees To Settle FTC Allegations It Illegally Collected Kids’ Data Without Parental Consent
• FTC Releases Funeral Home Compliance Results, Offers New Business Guidance on Funeral Rule Requirements

• FTC Imposes Conditions on Össur Hf’s Acquisition of College Park Industries, Inc.
• Court Approves $5 Billion Facebook Settlement
• FTC Intensifies Enforcement Against Unsupported COVID-19 Health Claims
• FTC Launches Two New Interactive Dashboards Detailing Consumer Reports About International Fraud
• FTC Seeks Comment as Part of Review of Health Breach Notification Rule

• FTC and DOJ Announce Expedited Antitrust Procedure and Guidance for Coronavirus Public Health Efforts
• International Competition Network Annual Conference Rescheduled for September
• FTC Data Shows Jump in Coronavirus-Related Consumer Complaints
• FTC Warns VoIP Service Providers Against Helping Telemarketers Make Illegal Coronavirus-Related Robocalls; Joins with Federal Communications Commission in Additional Warning Letters to Gateway Providers
• Medical Diagnostic Device Maker Settles Allegations That It Misled Consumers About Its Participation in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield

• FTC Challenges Proposed Merger of Two Hospital Systems
• FTC, FDA Send Warning Letters to Seven Companies About Unsupported Claims That Products Can Treat or Prevent Coronavirus
• FTC 2019 Privacy and Data Security Update Highlights Record Fines and International Cooperation
• First Round of Refunds Totaling $153 Million Sent to Consumers As a Result of Multi-Agency Case Against Western Union
• New FTC Data Show Consumers Reported Losing More Than $200 Million to Romance Scams in 2019

• FTC To Examine Past Acquisitions by Large Technology Firms
• FTC Challenges Anticompetitive Scheme To Maintain a $4,000 Percent List-Price Increase for Life-Saving Drug Daraprim
• Razor Manufacturer Abandons Proposed Acquisition of Disruptive Rival After FTC Sues To Block Merger
• Background Check Services Provider Agrees To Settle FTC Allegations That It Falsely Claimed Participation in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield

• FTC and DOJ Issue Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines for Public Comment
• FTC Alleges Fuel Card Marketer FleetCor Charged Hundreds of Millions in Hidden Fees
• Defendants Who Helped Blast Consumers with Millions of Cruise Line Robocalls Settle FTC Complaint
• FTC Calls for Presentations for Privacy Con 2020
• FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Publishes Blog Post on Notable Cases and Initiatives from the Past Year