FTCWatch
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January 14, 2025
Amex GBT’s purchase of rival CWT challenged by DOJ
American Express Global Business Travel Group’s proposed $570 million acquisition of prominent rival CWT Holdings has been challenged by the Department of Justice’s antitrust division.
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January 14, 2025
Privacy Corner: A talk with free speech champion Marchese
Chris Marchese took free speech protections for granted most of his life until bureaucratic policies at Boston College lit a fire within him. Now, he advocates for First Amendment protections on behalf of the country’s largest tech firms as the director for NetChoice’s litigation center.
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January 14, 2025
Calendar
Feb. 25 — The Federal Trade Commission is holding a virtual workshop on “The Attention Economy: Monopolizing Kids’ Time Online.” For more details, go to: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/09/ftc-announces-virtual-workshop-attention-economy-monopolizing-kids-time-online?utm_source=govdelivery.
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January 14, 2025
Commercial roofers plead guilty to bid-rigging charges
A Department of Justice investigation into commercial roofing services in Florida has garnered guilty pleas from four individuals and one company for bid-rigging, according to an agency release.
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January 14, 2025
On the Shelf: A long-winded critique of the neoliberal project
While some on the left attribute the dominance of conservative views in antitrust and other policy fields to a right-wing conspiracy, legal scholar Mehrsa Baradaran has a simpler explanation.
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January 14, 2025
People — Former FTC official Efron moves to Arnold & Porter
New research in the American Economic Review: Insights shows there were more than a thousand mergers of US hospitals from 2002 to 2020, but during that period the Federal Trade Commission took actions against only 13 transactions.
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January 14, 2025
Khan highlights market realities, public engagement in Brookings speech
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan used her final speech to reiterate the frequent theme that there needs to be enhanced competition in the marketplace. She also touted the FTC’s level of engagement with the public during her tenure.
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January 14, 2025
AccessiBe settles with FTC over misleading AI claims
Software provider accessiBe agreed to pay $1 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that it misrepresented the ability of its AI-powered web accessibility tool.
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January 14, 2025
Neil Averitt commentary: Project 2025 has pull with Ferguson
As Washington scrambles to anticipate the antitrust policies of the new administration, the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 seems to have dropped off the radar. But three things can be said about it: Project 2025 is still influential; it emphasizes actions with explicitly political goals, including in the antitrust field; and it’s very much in the thoughts of incoming Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson.
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January 14, 2025
DOJ sues six landlords over algorithmic pricing schemes
The Justice Department and nearly a dozen states sued six of the nation’s landlords, alleging that they participated with Texas-based software company RealPage in algorithmic pricing schemes that raised rents.
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January 14, 2025
Stop enforcing no-hire agreements, FTC tells contractor
A building services contractor and its affiliated companies were ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to stop enforcing no-hire agreements.
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January 14, 2025
Disney’s Fubo buyout offers path around sports venture’s ‘antitrust problem’
When FuboTV’s leadership decided to bet the fate of its sports-centric streaming platform on an antitrust showdown with three US media giants in early 2024, CEO David Gandler was public about the fact that he had signed up for a “duel to the death.”
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January 14, 2025
‘No gig firm exception’ from law, Khan says after Grubhub deal
When the Federal Trade Commission and Illinois attorney general settled with Illinois-based food delivery company Grubhub, it marked another effort by regulators of gig economy firms.
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January 14, 2025
Carter’s antitrust wins, consumer protection efforts netted criticism
Former President Jimmy Carter’s antitrust achievements didn’t satisfy liberals or conservatives. His consumer protection efforts, however, angered the business community and led a major newspaper to describe the Federal Trade Commission as behaving like a “national nanny.”
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December 17, 2024
Calendar
Jan. 14 — The Federal Trade Commission is holding a public meeting to discuss topics such as the housing market and pharmacy benefit managers. The virtual meeting will be held at 11 a.m. For more information, go to: https://www.ftc.gov.
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December 17, 2024
Baer given 2024 John Sherman Award at DOJ event
A deputy to Bill Baer, the Justice Department antitrust chief from 2013 to 2016, likened him to a basketball legend during an awards ceremony at the agency last week.
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December 17, 2024
FTC nominee Meador signals continued headaches for Big Tech, consolidation
Mark Meador, an experienced antitrust lawyer and Washington insider who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the fifth seat at the Federal Trade Commission, believes there are societal benefits to limiting the concentration of power and doesn’t hide his criticism of Big Tech.
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December 17, 2024
Key congressional panels for FTC getting new leaders in January
Three of the four committees that have oversight over the Federal Trade Commission will have new chairs next year.
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December 17, 2024
On the Shelf: Books to carry you into 2025
Let’s call it an embarrassment of riches. Even if you follow the example of late president and trustbuster Theodore Roosevelt and read two books a day, there’s no way to get through all the great books published each year. To help you narrow your choices, here are some of the best books FTCWatch reviewed in 2024 that’ll take you into 2025.
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December 17, 2024
Shopping for AI toys online? Consumer group warns of serious threats
Buying Christmas AI-powered toys online is easier than ever, but it can also be dangerous, if they’re shipped directly from overseas.
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December 17, 2024
Ferguson, ‘a traditional enforcer,’ to take reins at FTC
Incoming Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson could keep the agency’s focus on pursuing Big Tech but do it with a lighter touch.
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December 17, 2024
Mulling update to old rule, FTC calls on funeral homes
“The American Way of Death,” an exposé published in 1963, detailed the big money behind unscrupulous practices in the funeral industry, and the book became a touchstone for advocates seeking change.
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December 17, 2024
Senators ask feds to investigate sports betting collusion
Senators Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, and Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, called on the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to look into potential collusion in the sports betting industry.
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December 17, 2024
The man behind the most famous lawsuit involving the FTC
This is the fourth in a series of articles marking the 110th anniversary of the Federal Trade Commission’s founding.
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December 17, 2024
Trump names seasoned enforcer Slater to steer DOJ antitrust enforcement
Abigail Slater, picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next chief of the antitrust division at the Department of Justice, boasts a stellar resume on antitrust and technology policy matters and comes from an impressive political pedigree. If confirmed, Slater will take charge of the division at a pivotal time in the agency’s history as enforcers seek to break up Google while fighting other court battles against another Big Tech platform, Apple.