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Federal Trade Commission

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Federal Trade Commission
Seal of the United States Federal Trade Commission.svg
Seal of the Federal Trade Commission
Flag of the United States Federal Trade Commission.svg
Flag of the Federal Trade Commission
Agency overview
FormedSeptember 26, 1914; 108 years ago (1914-09-26)
Preceding agency
  • Bureau of Corporations
JurisdictionUnited States
HeadquartersFederal Trade Commission Building
Washington, DC
Employees1,123 (FY 2021)[1]
Annual budget$311 million (FY 2019)[2]
Agency executive
Websitewww.ftc.gov Edit this at Wikidata
Footnotes
[3][4]
Competition law
Scale of justice 2.svg
Basic concepts
Anti-competitive practices
Enforcement authorities and organizations

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction over federal civil antitrust enforcement with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division. The agency is headquartered in the Federal Trade Commission Building in Washington, DC.

The FTC was established in 1914 with the passage of the Federal Trade Commission Act, signed in response to the 19th-century monopolistic trust crisis. Since its inception, the FTC has enforced the provisions of the Clayton Act, a key antitrust statute, as well as the provisions of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 41 et seq. Over time, the FTC has been delegated with the enforcement of additional business regulation statutes and has promulgated a number of regulations (codified in Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations). The broad statutory authority granted to the FTC provides it with more surveillance and monitoring abilities than it actually uses.[5]: 571 

The FTC is composed of five commissioners, who each serve seven-year terms. Members of the commission are nominated by the President and subject to Senate confirmation, and no more than three FTC members can be of the same party. One member of the body serves as FTC Chair at the President's pleasure, with Commissioner Lina Khan having served as chair since June 2021.[6]

Discover more about Federal Trade Commission related topics

Independent agencies of the United States government

Independent agencies of the United States government

Independent agencies of the United States federal government are agencies that exist outside the federal executive departments and the Executive Office of the President. In a narrower sense, the term refers only to those independent agencies that, while considered part of the executive branch, have regulatory or rulemaking authority and are insulated from presidential control, usually because the president's power to dismiss the agency head or a member is limited.

United States antitrust law

United States antitrust law

In the United States, antitrust law is a collection of mostly federal laws that regulate the conduct and organization of businesses to promote competition and prevent unjustified monopolies. The three main U.S. antitrust statutes are the Sherman Act of 1890, the Clayton Act of 1914, and the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914. These acts serve three major functions. First, Section 1 of the Sherman Act prohibits price fixing and the operation of cartels, and prohibits other collusive practices that unreasonably restrain trade. Second, Section 7 of the Clayton Act restricts the mergers and acquisitions of organizations that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly. Third, Section 2 of the Sherman Act prohibits monopolization.

Consumer protection

Consumer protection

Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent businesses from engaging in fraud or specified unfair practices in order to gain an advantage over competitors or to mislead consumers. They may also provide additional protection for the general public which may be impacted by a product even when they are not the direct purchaser or consumer of that product. For example, government regulations may require businesses to disclose detailed information about their products—particularly in areas where public health or safety is an issue, such as with food or automobiles.

United States Department of Justice

United States Department of Justice

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United States. It is equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries. The department is headed by the U.S. attorney general, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet. The current attorney general is Merrick Garland, who was sworn in on March 11, 2021.

United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division

United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division

The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division is a division of the U.S. Department of Justice that enforces U.S. antitrust law. It has exclusive jurisdiction over U.S. federal criminal antitrust prosecutions. It also has concurrent jurisdiction over civil antitrust enforcement, although it shares civil antitrust enforcement jurisdiction with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The Antitrust Division often works jointly with the FTC to provide regulatory guidance to businesses.

Federal Trade Commission Building

Federal Trade Commission Building

The Federal Trade Commission Building is a federal building which serves as the headquarters of the Federal Trade Commission. Completed in 1938, the building was designated by Congress as a contributing structure to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site in 1966, and it was subsequently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Title 15 of the United States Code

Title 15 of the United States Code

Title 15 of the United States Code outlines the role of commerce and trade in the United States Code. Notable legislation in the title includes the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Consumer Product Safety Act, and the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.15 U.S.C. ch. 1—Monopolies and Combinations in Restraint of Trade; 15 U.S. Code § 13a is the Robinson Patman Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 2—Federal Trade Commission; Promotion Of Export Trade And Prevention Of Unfair Methods uk Competition 15 U.S.C. ch. 2A—Securities Act, Trust Indentures Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 2B—Securities Exchanges 15 U.S.C. ch. 2B-1—Securities Investor Protection 15 U.S.C. ch. 2C—Public Utility Holding Companies 15 U.S.C. ch. 2D—Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 2E—Omnibus Small Business Capital Formation 15 U.S.C. ch. 3—Trade-Marks 15 U.S.C. ch. 4—China Trade 15 U.S.C. ch. 5—Statistical and Commercial Information 15 U.S.C. ch. 6—Weights and Measures and Standard Time Subchapter I—Weights, Measures, and Standards Generally Subchapter II—Metric Conversion Subchapter III—Standard Gauge for Iron and Steel Subchapter IV—Screw Threads Subchapter V—Standard of Electricity Subchapter VI—Standard Barrels Subchapter VII—Standard Baskets and Containers Subchapter VIII—Standard Hampers, Round Stave Baskets, and Splint Baskets for Fruits and Vegetables Subchapter IX—Standard Time 15 U.S.C. ch. 7—National Institute of Standards and Technology 15 U.S.C. ch. 7A—Standard Reference Data Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 8—Falsely Stamped Gold or Silver or Goods Manufactured Therefrom 15 U.S.C. ch. 9—National Weather Service 15 U.S.C. ch. 9A—Weather Modification Activities Or Attempts; Reporting Requirement 15 U.S.C. ch. 10—War Finance Corporation 15 U.S.C. ch. 10A—Collection of State Cigarette Taxes 15 U.S.C. ch. 10B—State Taxation of Income from Interstate Commerce 15 U.S.C. ch. 11—Caustic Poisons (repealed) 15 U.S.C. ch. 12—Discrimination Against Farmers Cooperative Associations by Boards Of Trade 15 U.S.C. ch. 13—Textile Foundation 15 U.S.C. ch. 13A—Fishing Industry 15 U.S.C. ch. 14—Reconstruction Finance Corporation 15 U.S.C. ch. 14A—Aid to Small Business 15 U.S.C. ch. 14B—Small Business Investment Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 15—Economic Recovery 15 U.S.C. ch. 15A—Interstate Transportation Of Petroleum Products 15 U.S.C. ch. 15B—Natural Gas 15 U.S.C. ch. 15C—Alaska Natural Gas Transportation 15 U.S.C. ch. 16—Emergency Relief 15 U.S.C. ch. 16A—Emergency Petroleum Allocation 15 U.S.C. ch. 16B—Federal Energy Administration 15 U.S.C. ch. 16C - Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination 15 U.S.C. ch. 17 - Production, Marketing, and Use of Bituminous Coal 15 U.S.C. ch. 18 - Transportation of Firearms 15 U.S.C. ch. 19 - Miscellaneous 15 U.S.C. ch. 20 - Regulation of Insurance, McCarran–Ferguson Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 21 - National Policy on Employment and Productivity 15 U.S.C. ch. 22 - Trademarks 15 U.S.C. ch. 23 - Dissemination of Technical, Scientific and Engineering Information 15 U.S.C. ch. 24 - Transportation of Gambling Devices 15 U.S.C. ch. 25 - Flammable Fabrics 15 U.S.C. ch. 26 - Household Refrigerators 15 U.S.C. ch. 27 - Automobile Dealer Suits Against Manufacturers 15 U.S.C. ch. 28 - Disclosure of Automobile Information 15 U.S.C. ch. 29 - Manufacture, Transportation, or Distribution of Switchblade Knives 15 U.S.C. ch. 30 - Hazardous Substances 15 U.S.C. ch. 31 - Destruction of Property Moving in Commerce 15 U.S.C. ch. 32 - Telecasting of Professional Sports Contests 15 U.S.C. ch. 33 - Brake Fluid Regulation 15 U.S.C. ch. 34 - Antitrust Civil Process 15 U.S.C. ch. 35 - Seat Belt Regulation 15 U.S.C. ch. 36 - Cigarette Labeling and Advertising 15 U.S.C. ch. 37 - State Technical Services 15 U.S.C. ch. 38 - Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety 15 U.S.C. ch. 39 - Fair Packaging and Labeling Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 39A - Special Packaging of Household Substances for Protection of Children 15 U.S.C. ch. 40 - Department of Commerce 15 U.S.C. ch. 41 - Consumer Credit Protection Subchapter I — Consumer Credit Cost Disclosure Subchapter II — Restrictions on Garnishment Subchapter IIA — Credit Repair Organizations Subchapter III — Fair Credit Reporting Act Subchapter IV — Equal Credit Opportunity Subchapter V — Debt Collection Practices Subchapter VI — Electronic Funds Transfer 15 U.S.C. ch. 42—Interstate Land Sales 15 U.S.C. ch. 43—Newspaper Preservation 15 U.S.C. ch. 44—Protection of Horses 15 U.S.C. ch. 45—Emergency Loan Guarantees to Business Enterprises 15 U.S.C. ch. 45A—Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee 15 U.S.C. ch. 46—Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Subchapter I: Bumper Standards Subchapter II: Automobile Consumer Information Study Subchapter III: Diagnostic Inspection Demonstration Projects Subchapter IV: Odometer Requirements Subchapter V: Improving Automotive Efficiency Subchapter VI: Theft Prevention 15 U.S.C. ch. 46A—Automobile Title Fraud 15 U.S.C. ch. 47—Consumer Product Safety 15 U.S.C. ch. 48—Hobby Protection 15 U.S.C. ch. 49—Fire Prevention and Control 15 U.S.C. ch. 50—Consumer Product Warranties 15 U.S.C. ch. 51—National Productivity and Quality of Working Life 15 U.S.C. ch. 52—Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration 15 U.S.C. ch. 53—Toxic Substances Control Subchapter I—Control of Toxic Substances Subchapter II—Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Subchapter III—Indoor Radon Abatement Subchapter IV—Lead Exposure Reduction Subchapter V—Healthy High Performance Schools 15 U.S.C. ch. 54—Automotive Propulsion Research and Development 15 U.S.C. ch. 55—Petroleum Marketing Practices 15 U.S.C. ch. 56—National Climate Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 56A—Global Change Research 15 U.S.C. ch. 57—Interstate Horseracing 15 U.S.C. ch. 58—Full Employment and Balanced Growth 15 U.S.C. ch. 59—Retail Policies for Natural Gas Utilities 15 U.S.C. ch. 60—Natural Gas Policy 15 U.S.C. ch. 61—Soft Drink Interbrand Competition 15 U.S.C. ch. 62—Condominium and Cooperative Conversion Protection and Abuse Relief 15 U.S.C. ch. 63—Technology Innovation 15 U.S.C. ch. 64—Methane Transportation Research, Development, and Demonstration 15 U.S.C. ch. 65—Liability Risk Retention 15 U.S.C. ch. 66—Promotion of Export Trade 15 U.S.C. ch. 67—Arctic Research and Policy 15 U.S.C. ch. 68—Land Remote-Sensing Commercialization 15 U.S.C. ch. 69—Cooperative Research 15 U.S.C. ch. 70—Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education 15 U.S.C. ch. 71—Petroleum Overcharge Distribution and Restitution 15 U.S.C. ch. 72—Semiconductor Research 15 U.S.C. ch. 73—Export Enhancement 15 U.S.C. ch. 74—Competitiveness Policy Council 15 U.S.C. ch. 75—National Trade Data Bank 15 U.S.C. ch. 76—Imitation Firearms 15 U.S.C. ch. 77—Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness 15 U.S.C. ch. 78—Superconductivity and Competitiveness 15 U.S.C. ch. 79—Metal Casting Competitiveness Research Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 80—Fasteners 15 U.S.C. ch. 81—High-Performance Computing 15 U.S.C. ch. 82—Land Remote Sensing Policy 15 U.S.C. ch. 83—Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution 15 U.S.C. ch. 84—Commercial Space Competitiveness 15 U.S.C. ch. 85—Armored Car Industry Reciprocity 15 U.S.C. ch. 86—Children's Bicycle Helmet Safety 15 U.S.C. ch. 87—Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention 15 U.S.C. ch. 88—International Antitrust Enforcement Assistance 15 U.S.C. ch. 89—Professional Boxing Safety 15 U.S.C. ch. 90—Propane Education and Research 15 U.S.C. ch. 91—Children's Online Privacy Protection 15 U.S.C. ch. 92—Year 2000 Computer Date Change 15 U.S.C. ch. 93—Insurance, Title III of Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 94—Privacy 15 U.S.C. ch. 95—Microenterprise Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 96—Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce 15 U.S.C. ch. 97—Women's Business Enterprise Development 15 U.S.C. ch. 98—Public Company Accounting Reform and Corporate Responsibility, also known as the "Sarbanes–Oxley Act" 15 U.S.C. ch. 99—National Construction Safety Team 15 U.S.C. ch. 100—Cyber Security Research and Development 15 U.S.C. ch. 101—Nanotechnology Research and Development 15 U.S.C. ch. 102—Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers 15 U.S.C. ch. 103—Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing

Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations

Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations

CFR Title 16 – Commercial Practices is one of fifty titles comprising the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), containing the principal set of rules and regulations issued by federal agencies regarding commercial practices. It is available in digital and printed form, and can be referenced online using the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR).

President of the United States

President of the United States

The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.

United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.

Political parties in the United States

Political parties in the United States

American electoral politics have been dominated by two major political parties since shortly after the founding of the republic of the United States of America. Since the 1850s, the two have been the Democratic Party and the Republican Party— one of which has won every United States presidential election since 1852 and controlled the United States Congress since at least 1856. Despite keeping the same names, the two parties have both evolved in terms of ideologies, positions, and support bases over their long lifespans, in response to social, cultural, and economic developments—the Democratic Party being the left-of-center party since the time of the New Deal, and the Republican Party now being the right-of-center party.

Lina Khan

Lina Khan

Lina M. Khan is a British-born American legal scholar serving as chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission since 2021. While a student at Yale Law School, she became known for her work in antitrust and competition law in the United States after publishing the influential essay "Amazon's Antitrust Paradox". She was nominated by President Joe Biden to the Commission in March 2021, and has served since June 2021 following her confirmation. She is also an associate professor of law at Columbia Law School.

History

Early history

Following the Supreme Court decisions against Standard Oil and American Tobacco[7] in May 1911, the first version of a bill to establish a commission to regulate interstate trade was introduced on January 25, 1912, by Oklahoma congressman Dick Thompson Morgan. He would make the first speech on the House floor advocating its creation on February 21, 1912.

Though the initial bill did not pass, the questions of trusts and antitrust dominated the 1912 election.[8] Most political party platforms in 1912 endorsed the establishment of a federal trade commission with its regulatory powers placed in the hands of an administrative board, as an alternative to functions previously and necessarily exercised so slowly through the courts.[9][10]

With the 1912 presidential election decided in favor of the Democrats and Woodrow Wilson, Morgan reintroduced a slightly amended version of his bill during the April 1913 special session. The national debate culminated in Wilson's signing of the FTC Act on September 26, 1914, with additional tightening of regulations in the Clayton Antitrust Act three weeks later.

The new FTC would absorb the staff and duties of Bureau of Corporations, previously established under the Department of Commerce and Labor in 1903. The FTC could additionally challenge "unfair methods of competition" and enforce the Clayton Act's more specific prohibitions against certain price discrimination, vertical arrangements, interlocking directorates, and stock acquisitions.[8]

Recent history

In 1984,[11] the FTC began to regulate the funeral home industry in order to protect consumers from deceptive practices. The FTC Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to provide all customers (and potential customers) with a General Price List (GPL), specifically outlining goods and services in the funeral industry, as defined by the FTC, and a listing of their prices.[12] By law, the GPL must be presented on request to all individuals, and no one is to be denied a written, retainable copy of the GPL. In 1996, the FTC instituted the Funeral Rule Offenders Program (FROP), under which "funeral homes make a voluntary payment to the U.S. Treasury or appropriate state fund for an amount less than what would likely be sought if the Commission authorized filing a lawsuit for civil penalties. In addition, the funeral homes participate in the NFDA compliance program, which includes a review of the price lists, on-site training of the staff, and follow-up testing and certification on compliance with the Funeral Rule."[11]

In the mid-1990s, the FTC launched the fraud sweeps concept where the agency and its federal, state, and local partners filed simultaneous legal actions against multiple telemarketing fraud targets. The first sweeps operation was Project Telesweep[13] in July 1995 which cracked down on 100 business opportunity scams.

In the 2021 United States Supreme Court case, AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC, the Court found unanimously that the FTC did not have power under 15 U.S.C. § 13b of the FTC Act, amended in 1973, to seek equitable relief in courts; it had the power to seek only injunctive relief.[14]

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United States v. American Tobacco Co.

United States v. American Tobacco Co.

United States v. American Tobacco Company, 221 U.S. 106 (1911), was a decision by the United States Supreme Court, which held that the combination in this case is one in restraint of trade and an attempt to monopolize the business of tobacco in interstate commerce within the prohibitions of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. As a result, the American Tobacco Company was split into four competitors.

Dick Thompson Morgan

Dick Thompson Morgan

Dick Thompson Morgan was a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma.

1912 United States presidential election

1912 United States presidential election

The 1912 United States presidential election was the 32nd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1912. Democratic Governor Woodrow Wilson unseated incumbent Republican President William Howard Taft and defeated former President Theodore Roosevelt, who ran under the banner of the new Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party. This is the most recent, and the only post-Civil War presidential election in which the second-place candidate was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. This is the most recent election to date in which four candidates received over five percent of the vote.

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of Princeton University and as the governor of New Jersey before winning the 1912 presidential election. As president, Wilson changed the nation's economic policies and led the United States into World War I in 1917. He was the leading architect of the League of Nations, and his progressive stance on foreign policy came to be known as Wilsonianism.

Bureau of Corporations

Bureau of Corporations

The Bureau of Corporations, predecessor to the Federal Trade Commission, was created as an investigatory agency within the Department of Commerce and Labor in the United States. The Bureau and the Department were created by Congress on February 14, 1903, during the Progressive Era.

Interlocking directorate

Interlocking directorate

Interlocking directorate refers to the practice of members of a corporate board of directors serving on the boards of multiple corporations. A person that sits on multiple boards is known as a multiple director. Two firms have a direct interlock if a director or executive of one firm is also a director of the other, and an indirect interlock if a director of each sits on the board of a third firm.

Funeral home

Funeral home

A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the dead and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral.

Funeral Rule

Funeral Rule

The Funeral Rule, enacted by the Federal Trade Commission on April 30, 1984, and amended effective 1994, was designed to protect consumers by requiring that they receive adequate information concerning the goods and services they may purchase from a funeral provider.

AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC

AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC

AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC, 593 U.S. ___ (2021), was a U.S. Supreme Court case dealing with the ability of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to seek monetary relief for restitution or disgorgement from those that it found in violation of trade practices. The Court ruled unanimously that the FTC had misused its authority granted by the Federal Trade Commission Act under Section 13(b) to obtain monetary relief.

Title 15 of the United States Code

Title 15 of the United States Code

Title 15 of the United States Code outlines the role of commerce and trade in the United States Code. Notable legislation in the title includes the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Consumer Product Safety Act, and the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.15 U.S.C. ch. 1—Monopolies and Combinations in Restraint of Trade; 15 U.S. Code § 13a is the Robinson Patman Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 2—Federal Trade Commission; Promotion Of Export Trade And Prevention Of Unfair Methods uk Competition 15 U.S.C. ch. 2A—Securities Act, Trust Indentures Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 2B—Securities Exchanges 15 U.S.C. ch. 2B-1—Securities Investor Protection 15 U.S.C. ch. 2C—Public Utility Holding Companies 15 U.S.C. ch. 2D—Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 2E—Omnibus Small Business Capital Formation 15 U.S.C. ch. 3—Trade-Marks 15 U.S.C. ch. 4—China Trade 15 U.S.C. ch. 5—Statistical and Commercial Information 15 U.S.C. ch. 6—Weights and Measures and Standard Time Subchapter I—Weights, Measures, and Standards Generally Subchapter II—Metric Conversion Subchapter III—Standard Gauge for Iron and Steel Subchapter IV—Screw Threads Subchapter V—Standard of Electricity Subchapter VI—Standard Barrels Subchapter VII—Standard Baskets and Containers Subchapter VIII—Standard Hampers, Round Stave Baskets, and Splint Baskets for Fruits and Vegetables Subchapter IX—Standard Time 15 U.S.C. ch. 7—National Institute of Standards and Technology 15 U.S.C. ch. 7A—Standard Reference Data Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 8—Falsely Stamped Gold or Silver or Goods Manufactured Therefrom 15 U.S.C. ch. 9—National Weather Service 15 U.S.C. ch. 9A—Weather Modification Activities Or Attempts; Reporting Requirement 15 U.S.C. ch. 10—War Finance Corporation 15 U.S.C. ch. 10A—Collection of State Cigarette Taxes 15 U.S.C. ch. 10B—State Taxation of Income from Interstate Commerce 15 U.S.C. ch. 11—Caustic Poisons (repealed) 15 U.S.C. ch. 12—Discrimination Against Farmers Cooperative Associations by Boards Of Trade 15 U.S.C. ch. 13—Textile Foundation 15 U.S.C. ch. 13A—Fishing Industry 15 U.S.C. ch. 14—Reconstruction Finance Corporation 15 U.S.C. ch. 14A—Aid to Small Business 15 U.S.C. ch. 14B—Small Business Investment Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 15—Economic Recovery 15 U.S.C. ch. 15A—Interstate Transportation Of Petroleum Products 15 U.S.C. ch. 15B—Natural Gas 15 U.S.C. ch. 15C—Alaska Natural Gas Transportation 15 U.S.C. ch. 16—Emergency Relief 15 U.S.C. ch. 16A—Emergency Petroleum Allocation 15 U.S.C. ch. 16B—Federal Energy Administration 15 U.S.C. ch. 16C - Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination 15 U.S.C. ch. 17 - Production, Marketing, and Use of Bituminous Coal 15 U.S.C. ch. 18 - Transportation of Firearms 15 U.S.C. ch. 19 - Miscellaneous 15 U.S.C. ch. 20 - Regulation of Insurance, McCarran–Ferguson Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 21 - National Policy on Employment and Productivity 15 U.S.C. ch. 22 - Trademarks 15 U.S.C. ch. 23 - Dissemination of Technical, Scientific and Engineering Information 15 U.S.C. ch. 24 - Transportation of Gambling Devices 15 U.S.C. ch. 25 - Flammable Fabrics 15 U.S.C. ch. 26 - Household Refrigerators 15 U.S.C. ch. 27 - Automobile Dealer Suits Against Manufacturers 15 U.S.C. ch. 28 - Disclosure of Automobile Information 15 U.S.C. ch. 29 - Manufacture, Transportation, or Distribution of Switchblade Knives 15 U.S.C. ch. 30 - Hazardous Substances 15 U.S.C. ch. 31 - Destruction of Property Moving in Commerce 15 U.S.C. ch. 32 - Telecasting of Professional Sports Contests 15 U.S.C. ch. 33 - Brake Fluid Regulation 15 U.S.C. ch. 34 - Antitrust Civil Process 15 U.S.C. ch. 35 - Seat Belt Regulation 15 U.S.C. ch. 36 - Cigarette Labeling and Advertising 15 U.S.C. ch. 37 - State Technical Services 15 U.S.C. ch. 38 - Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety 15 U.S.C. ch. 39 - Fair Packaging and Labeling Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 39A - Special Packaging of Household Substances for Protection of Children 15 U.S.C. ch. 40 - Department of Commerce 15 U.S.C. ch. 41 - Consumer Credit Protection Subchapter I — Consumer Credit Cost Disclosure Subchapter II — Restrictions on Garnishment Subchapter IIA — Credit Repair Organizations Subchapter III — Fair Credit Reporting Act Subchapter IV — Equal Credit Opportunity Subchapter V — Debt Collection Practices Subchapter VI — Electronic Funds Transfer 15 U.S.C. ch. 42—Interstate Land Sales 15 U.S.C. ch. 43—Newspaper Preservation 15 U.S.C. ch. 44—Protection of Horses 15 U.S.C. ch. 45—Emergency Loan Guarantees to Business Enterprises 15 U.S.C. ch. 45A—Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee 15 U.S.C. ch. 46—Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Subchapter I: Bumper Standards Subchapter II: Automobile Consumer Information Study Subchapter III: Diagnostic Inspection Demonstration Projects Subchapter IV: Odometer Requirements Subchapter V: Improving Automotive Efficiency Subchapter VI: Theft Prevention 15 U.S.C. ch. 46A—Automobile Title Fraud 15 U.S.C. ch. 47—Consumer Product Safety 15 U.S.C. ch. 48—Hobby Protection 15 U.S.C. ch. 49—Fire Prevention and Control 15 U.S.C. ch. 50—Consumer Product Warranties 15 U.S.C. ch. 51—National Productivity and Quality of Working Life 15 U.S.C. ch. 52—Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration 15 U.S.C. ch. 53—Toxic Substances Control Subchapter I—Control of Toxic Substances Subchapter II—Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Subchapter III—Indoor Radon Abatement Subchapter IV—Lead Exposure Reduction Subchapter V—Healthy High Performance Schools 15 U.S.C. ch. 54—Automotive Propulsion Research and Development 15 U.S.C. ch. 55—Petroleum Marketing Practices 15 U.S.C. ch. 56—National Climate Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 56A—Global Change Research 15 U.S.C. ch. 57—Interstate Horseracing 15 U.S.C. ch. 58—Full Employment and Balanced Growth 15 U.S.C. ch. 59—Retail Policies for Natural Gas Utilities 15 U.S.C. ch. 60—Natural Gas Policy 15 U.S.C. ch. 61—Soft Drink Interbrand Competition 15 U.S.C. ch. 62—Condominium and Cooperative Conversion Protection and Abuse Relief 15 U.S.C. ch. 63—Technology Innovation 15 U.S.C. ch. 64—Methane Transportation Research, Development, and Demonstration 15 U.S.C. ch. 65—Liability Risk Retention 15 U.S.C. ch. 66—Promotion of Export Trade 15 U.S.C. ch. 67—Arctic Research and Policy 15 U.S.C. ch. 68—Land Remote-Sensing Commercialization 15 U.S.C. ch. 69—Cooperative Research 15 U.S.C. ch. 70—Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education 15 U.S.C. ch. 71—Petroleum Overcharge Distribution and Restitution 15 U.S.C. ch. 72—Semiconductor Research 15 U.S.C. ch. 73—Export Enhancement 15 U.S.C. ch. 74—Competitiveness Policy Council 15 U.S.C. ch. 75—National Trade Data Bank 15 U.S.C. ch. 76—Imitation Firearms 15 U.S.C. ch. 77—Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness 15 U.S.C. ch. 78—Superconductivity and Competitiveness 15 U.S.C. ch. 79—Metal Casting Competitiveness Research Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 80—Fasteners 15 U.S.C. ch. 81—High-Performance Computing 15 U.S.C. ch. 82—Land Remote Sensing Policy 15 U.S.C. ch. 83—Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution 15 U.S.C. ch. 84—Commercial Space Competitiveness 15 U.S.C. ch. 85—Armored Car Industry Reciprocity 15 U.S.C. ch. 86—Children's Bicycle Helmet Safety 15 U.S.C. ch. 87—Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention 15 U.S.C. ch. 88—International Antitrust Enforcement Assistance 15 U.S.C. ch. 89—Professional Boxing Safety 15 U.S.C. ch. 90—Propane Education and Research 15 U.S.C. ch. 91—Children's Online Privacy Protection 15 U.S.C. ch. 92—Year 2000 Computer Date Change 15 U.S.C. ch. 93—Insurance, Title III of Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act 15 U.S.C. ch. 94—Privacy 15 U.S.C. ch. 95—Microenterprise Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program 15 U.S.C. ch. 96—Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce 15 U.S.C. ch. 97—Women's Business Enterprise Development 15 U.S.C. ch. 98—Public Company Accounting Reform and Corporate Responsibility, also known as the "Sarbanes–Oxley Act" 15 U.S.C. ch. 99—National Construction Safety Team 15 U.S.C. ch. 100—Cyber Security Research and Development 15 U.S.C. ch. 101—Nanotechnology Research and Development 15 U.S.C. ch. 102—Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers 15 U.S.C. ch. 103—Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing

Members of the Commission

See also: List of members of the Federal Trade Commission and List of chairs of the Federal Trade Commission

Current members of the FTC

The commission is headed by five commissioners, who each serve seven-year terms. Commissioners are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. No more than three commissioners can be of the same political party. In practice, this means that two commissioners are of the opposition party. However, three members of the FTC throughout its history have been without party affiliation, with the most recent independent, Pamela Jones Harbour, serving from 2003 to 2009.[15]

Portrait Name Party Prior experience Education Term began Term expires
Lina Khan, FTC Chair (cropped).jpg Lina Khan

(Chair)

Democratic Legal scholar Williams College (BA)

Yale Law School (JD)

June 15, 2021 September 26, 2024
Rebecca Slaughter (cropped).jpg Rebecca Slaughter Democratic Legal advisor to Senator Chuck Schumer Yale University (BA)

Yale Law School (JD)

May 2, 2018 September 26, 2022
Christine Wilson official photo.png Christine S. Wilson Republican Senior Vice President, Delta Air Lines University of Florida (BA)

Georgetown University Law Center (JD)

September 26, 2018 September 26, 2025
Alvaro Bedoya, FTC Commissioner (cropped).jpg Alvaro Bedoya Democratic Director of the Center on Privacy and Technology at the Georgetown University Law Center Harvard College (BA)

Yale Law School (JD)

May 16, 2022 September 26, 2026
Vacant September 26, 2023

Notes

  • Shortly after the U.S. Senate confirmed Lina Khan as a commissioner, President Biden tapped her to serve as Chair of the commission.[16]
  • The FTC Act allows commissioners to remain in their position after their term expires, until a replacement has been appointed.

Backgrounds of commissioners

As of 2021, there have been:

Discover more about Members of the Commission related topics

List of members of the Federal Trade Commission

List of members of the Federal Trade Commission

The following is a list of individuals who have served as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) beginning in 1949.

List of chairs of the Federal Trade Commission

List of chairs of the Federal Trade Commission

The following is a list of the chairs of the Federal Trade Commission.

Political parties in the United States

Political parties in the United States

American electoral politics have been dominated by two major political parties since shortly after the founding of the republic of the United States of America. Since the 1850s, the two have been the Democratic Party and the Republican Party— one of which has won every United States presidential election since 1852 and controlled the United States Congress since at least 1856. Despite keeping the same names, the two parties have both evolved in terms of ideologies, positions, and support bases over their long lifespans, in response to social, cultural, and economic developments—the Democratic Party being the left-of-center party since the time of the New Deal, and the Republican Party now being the right-of-center party.

Independent politician

Independent politician

An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.

Pamela Jones Harbour

Pamela Jones Harbour

Pamela LeDeyce Jones Harbour is an American lawyer who served as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 2003 to 2009. As of 2021, Harbour is one of just three African-Americans to have served as a member of the FTC. Additionally, she is one of the just three political independents to serve on the body as of 2017.

Lina Khan

Lina Khan

Lina M. Khan is a British-born American legal scholar serving as chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission since 2021. While a student at Yale Law School, she became known for her work in antitrust and competition law in the United States after publishing the influential essay "Amazon's Antitrust Paradox". She was nominated by President Joe Biden to the Commission in March 2021, and has served since June 2021 following her confirmation. She is also an associate professor of law at Columbia Law School.

Democratic Party (United States)

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828, it was predominantly built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled politicians in every state behind war hero Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Its main political rival has been the Republican Party since the 1850s, with both parties being big tents of competing and often opposing viewpoints. Modern American liberalism — a variant of social liberalism — is the party's majority ideology. The party also has notable centrist, social democratic, and left-libertarian factions.

Chuck Schumer

Chuck Schumer

Charles Ellis Schumer is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from New York, a seat he has held since 1999, and as Senate Majority Leader since 2021. The dean of New York's congressional delegation, Schumer is in his fifth Senate term and has been the leader of the Democratic caucus since 2017; he served as minority leader from 2017 to 2021. Schumer is the longest-serving senator from New York, having surpassed Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jacob K. Javits in 2023.

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years, depending on the country and institution.Degree attainment typically takes four years in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei, China, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Georgia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States and Zambia. Degree attainment typically takes three years in Albania, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Caribbean, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, the Canadian province of Quebec, the United Kingdom and most of the European Union. In Bangladesh, three-year BA (associates) courses are also available.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor

The Juris Doctor, also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence, is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law in the United States; unlike in some other jurisdictions, there is no undergraduate law degree in the United States. In the United States, along with Australia, Canada, and some other common law countries, the J.D. is earned by completing law school.

Christine S. Wilson

Christine S. Wilson

Christine Smith Wilson is an American attorney who serves on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Wilson was appointed to this position in 2018 by President Donald Trump and was confirmed by the Senate in April 2018. She replaced Maureen Ohlhausen.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along with its subsidiaries and regional affiliates, including Delta Connection, operates over 5,400 flights daily and serves 325 destinations in 52 countries on six continents. Delta is a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. As of the end of 2022, it had 90,000 employees.

Bureaus

How to File a Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, from the FTC

Bureau of Consumer Protection

The Bureau of Consumer Protection's mandate is to protect consumers against unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce. With the written consent of the commission, Bureau attorneys enforce federal laws related to consumer affairs and rules promulgated by the FTC. Its functions include investigations, enforcement actions, and consumer and business education. Areas of principal concern for this bureau are: advertising and marketing, financial products and practices, telemarketing fraud, privacy and identity protection, etc. The bureau also is responsible for the United States National Do Not Call Registry.

Under the FTC Act, the commission has the authority, in most cases, to bring its actions in federal court through its own attorneys. In some consumer protection matters, the FTC appears with, or supports, the U.S. Department of Justice.

Bureau of Competition

The Bureau of Competition is the division of the FTC charged with elimination and prevention of "anticompetitive" business practices. It accomplishes this through the enforcement of antitrust laws, review of proposed mergers, and investigation into other non-merger business practices that may impair competition. Such non-merger practices include horizontal restraints, involving agreements between direct competitors, and vertical restraints, involving agreements among businesses at different levels in the same industry (such as suppliers and commercial buyers).

Apex Building, built in 1938 (FTC headquarters) in Washington, DC
Apex Building, built in 1938 (FTC headquarters) in Washington, DC

The FTC shares enforcement of antitrust laws with the Department of Justice. However, while the FTC is responsible for civil enforcement of antitrust laws, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice has the power to bring both civil and criminal action in antitrust matters.

Bureau of Economics

The Bureau of Economics was established to support the Bureau of Competition and Consumer Protection by providing expert knowledge related to the economic impacts of the FTC's legislation and operation.

Other bureaus

  • The FTC maintains an Office of Technology Research and Investigation to assist it in technology-related enforcement actions.[19]
  • The FTC generally selects its Chief Technologist from among computer science academics and noted practitioners.[20] The role has previously been filled by Steven K. Bellovin, Lorrie Cranor, Edward Felten, Ashkan Soltani, and Latanya Sweeney.
  • The FTC also maintains an academic in residence program, inviting leading legal scholars to join the FTC for a year as a Senior Policy Advisor. The role has been held by Tim Wu in 2011,[21] Paul Ohm in 2012,[22] and Andrea M. Matwyshyn in 2014.[23]

Discover more about Bureaus related topics

Telemarketing fraud

Telemarketing fraud

Telemarketing fraud is fraudulent selling conducted over the telephone. The term is also used for telephone fraud not involving selling.

Vertical restraints

Vertical restraints

Vertical restraints are competition restrictions in agreements between firms or individuals at different levels of the production and distribution process. Vertical restraints are to be distinguished from so-called "horizontal restraints", which are found in agreements between horizontal competitors. Vertical restraints can take numerous forms, ranging from a requirement that dealers accept returns of a manufacturer's product, to resale price maintenance agreements setting the minimum or maximum price that dealers can charge for the manufacturer's product.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Potomac River, which forms its southwestern border with Virginia, and borders Maryland to its north and east. The city was named for George Washington, a Founding Father, commanding general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and the district is named for Columbia, the female personification of the nation.

United States Department of Justice

United States Department of Justice

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United States. It is equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries. The department is headed by the U.S. attorney general, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet. The current attorney general is Merrick Garland, who was sworn in on March 11, 2021.

Steven M. Bellovin

Steven M. Bellovin

Steven M. Bellovin is a researcher on computer networking and security. He has been a professor in the Computer Science department at Columbia University since 2005. Previously, Bellovin was a Fellow at AT&T Labs Research in Florham Park, New Jersey.

Lorrie Cranor

Lorrie Cranor

Lorrie Faith Cranor, D.Sc. is the FORE Systems Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and is the director of the Carnegie Mellon Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory. She has served as Chief Technologist of the Federal Trade Commission, and she was formerly a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation Board of Directors. Previously she was a researcher at AT&T Labs-Research and taught in the Stern School of Business at New York University. She has authored over 110 research papers on online privacy, phishing and semantic attacks, spam, electronic voting, anonymous publishing, usable access control, and other topics.

Edward Felten

Edward Felten

Edward William Felten is the Robert E. Kahn Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs at Princeton University, where he was also the Director of the Center for Information Technology Policy from 2007 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2019. On November 4, 2010, he was named Chief Technologist for the Federal Trade Commission, a position he officially assumed January 3, 2011. On May 11, 2015, he was named the Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer.

Ashkan Soltani

Ashkan Soltani

Ashkan Soltani is the executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency. He has previously been the Chief Technologist of the Federal Trade Commission and an independent privacy and security researcher based in Washington, DC.

Latanya Sweeney

Latanya Sweeney

Latanya Arvette Sweeney is an American computer scientist. She is the Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of Government and Technology at the Harvard Kennedy School and in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. She is the founder and director of the Public Interest Tech Lab, founded in 2021 with a $3 million grant from the Ford Foundation as well as the Data Privacy Lab. She is the current Faculty Dean in Currier House at Harvard.

Tim Wu

Tim Wu

Timothy "Tim" Shiou-Ming Wu is a Taiwanese American legal scholar who served as Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy from 2021 to 2023. He was also a professor of law at Columbia University and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. He is known legally and academically for significant contributions to antitrust and communications policy, coining the phrase "network neutrality" in his 2003 law journal article, Network Neutrality, Broadband Discrimination. In the late 2010s, Wu was a leading advocate for an antitrust lawsuit directed at the breakup of Facebook.

Andrea M. Matwyshyn

Andrea M. Matwyshyn

Andrea M. Matwyshyn is a United States law professor and engineering professor at The Pennsylvania State University. She is known as a scholar of technology policy, particularly as an expert at the intersection of law and computer security and for her work with government. She is credited with originating the legal and policy concept of the Internet of Bodies.

Activities

The FTC investigates issues raised by reports from consumers and businesses, pre-merger notification filings, congressional inquiries, or reports in the media. These issues include, for instance, false advertising and other forms of fraud. FTC investigations may pertain to a single company or an entire industry. If the results of the investigation reveal unlawful conduct, the FTC may seek voluntary compliance by the offending business through a consent order, file an administrative complaint, or initiate federal litigation. During the course of regulatory activities, the FTC is authorized to collect records, but not on-site inspections.[24]: 23 

Traditionally an administrative complaint is heard in front of an independent administrative law judge (ALJ) with FTC staff acting as prosecutors. The case is reviewed de novo by the full FTC commission which then may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals and finally to the Supreme Court.

Under the FTC Act, the federal courts retain their traditional authority to issue equitable relief, including the appointment of receivers, monitors, the imposition of asset freezes to guard against the spoliation of funds, immediate access to business premises to preserve evidence, and other relief including financial disclosures and expedited discovery. In numerous cases, the FTC employs this authority to combat serious consumer deception or fraud. Additionally, the FTC has rulemaking power to address concerns regarding industry-wide practices. Rules promulgated under this authority are known as Trade Rules.

One of the Federal Trade Commission's other major focuses is identity theft. The FTC serves as a federal repository for individual consumer complaints regarding identity theft. Even though the FTC does not resolve individual complaints, it does use the aggregated information to determine where federal action might be taken. The complaint form is available online or by phone (1-877-ID-THEFT).

The FTC has been involved in the oversight of the online advertising industry and its practice of behavioral targeting for some time. In 2011 the FTC proposed a "Do Not Track" mechanism to allow Internet users to opt-out of behavioral targeting.

The FTC, along with the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice also empowers third-party enforcer-firms to engage in some regulatory oversight, e.g. the FTC requires other energy companies to audit offshore oil platform operators.[25]: 4 

In 2013, the FTC issued a comprehensive revision of its Green guides, which set forth standards for environmental marketing.[26]

Discover more about Activities related topics

Mass media

Mass media

Mass media refers to a diverse array of media that reach a large audience via mass communication.

False advertising

False advertising

False advertising is defined as the act of publishing, transmitting, or otherwise publicly circulating an advertisement containing a false claim, or statement, made intentionally to promote the sale of property, goods, or services. A false advertisement can be classified as deceptive if the advertiser deliberately misleads the consumer, rather than making an unintentional mistake. A number of governments use regulations to limit false advertising.

Fraud

Fraud

In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law or criminal law, or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements.

Rulemaking

Rulemaking

In administrative law, rulemaking is the process that executive and independent agencies use to create, or promulgate, regulations. In general, legislatures first set broad policy mandates by passing statutes, then agencies create more detailed regulations through rulemaking.

Identity theft

Identity theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term identity theft was coined in 1964. Since that time, the definition of identity theft has been statutorily defined throughout both the U.K. and the U.S. as the theft of personally identifiable information. Identity theft deliberately uses someone else's identity as a method to gain financial advantages or obtain credit and other benefits, and perhaps to cause other person's disadvantages or loss. The person whose identity has been stolen may suffer adverse consequences, especially if they are falsely held responsible for the perpetrator's actions. Personally identifiable information generally includes a person's name, date of birth, social security number, driver's license number, bank account or credit card numbers, PINs, electronic signatures, fingerprints, passwords, or any other information that can be used to access a person's financial resources.

FTC regulation of behavioral advertising

FTC regulation of behavioral advertising

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been involved in oversight of the behavioral targeting techniques used by online advertisers since the mid-1990s. These techniques, initially called "online profiling", are now referred to as "behavioral targeting"; they are used to target online behavioral advertising (OBA) to consumers based on preferences inferred from their online behavior. During the period from the mid-1990s to the present, the FTC held a series of workshops, published a number of reports, and gave numerous recommendations regarding both industry self-regulation and Federal regulation of OBA. In late 2010, the FTC proposed a legislative framework for U.S. consumer data privacy including a proposal for a "Do Not Track" mechanism. In 2011, a number of bills were introduced into the United States Congress that would regulate OBA.

Do Not Track

Do Not Track

Do Not Track (DNT) is a formerly official HTTP header field, designed to allow internet users to opt-out of tracking by websites—which includes the collection of data regarding a user's activity across multiple distinct contexts, and the retention, use, or sharing of data derived from that activity outside the context in which it occurred.

Opt-out

Opt-out

The term opt-out refers to several methods by which individuals can avoid receiving unsolicited product or service information. This option is usually associated with direct marketing campaigns such as e-mail marketing or direct mail. A list of those who have opted out is called a Robinson list.

United States Environmental Protection Agency

United States Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on December 2, 1970, after Nixon signed an executive order. The order establishing the EPA was ratified by committee hearings in the House and Senate. The agency is led by its administrator, who is appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. The current administrator is Michael S. Regan. The EPA is not a Cabinet department, but the administrator is normally given cabinet rank. The EPA has its headquarters in Washington, D.C., regional offices for each of the agency's ten regions, and 27 laboratories. The agency conducts environmental assessment, research, and education. It has the responsibility of maintaining and enforcing national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with state, tribal, and local governments. It delegates some permitting, monitoring, and enforcement responsibility to U.S. states and the federally recognized tribes. EPA enforcement powers include fines, sanctions, and other measures. The agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts. The agency's budgeted employee level in 2023 is 16,204.1 full-time equivalent (FTE). More than half of EPA's employees are engineers, scientists, and environmental protection specialists; other employees include legal, public affairs, financial, and information technologists. Many public health and environmental groups advocate for the agency and believe that it is creating a better world. Other critics believe that the agency commits government overreach by adding unnecessary regulations on business and property owners.

Green guides

Green guides

A green guide is a set of rules and guidelines provided for the use of a general or selective population to achieve the goal of becoming more green or sustainable. The guide serves to direct individuals, agencies, companies, businesses, etc. to resources that can help them become more sustainable, as sustainability becomes a more popular and growing lifestyle choice. Guides are available in many ways, but the most popular being through websites to avoid using paper. There has also been a surge of guides in university websites to encourage students towards a more sustainable way of life.

Unfair or deceptive practices affecting consumers

Endorsement Guides from the FTC

Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45 grants the FTC power to investigate and prevent deceptive trade practices. The statute declares that "unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, are hereby declared unlawful."[27]

Unfairness and deception towards consumers represent two distinct areas of FTC enforcement and authority. The FTC also has authority over unfair methods of competition between businesses.[28]

Definitions of unfairness

Courts have identified three main factors that must be considered in consumer unfairness cases: (1) whether the practice injures consumers; (2) whether the practice violates established public policy; and (3) whether it is unethical or unscrupulous.[28]

Definitions of deception

In a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the FTC defined the elements of deception cases. First, "there must be a representation, omission or practice that is likely to mislead the consumer."[29] In the case of omissions, the Commission considers the implied representations understood by the consumer.

A misleading omission occurs when information is not disclosed to correct reasonable consumer expectations.[29] Second, the Commission examines the practice from the perspective of a reasonable consumer being targeted by the practice. Finally the representation or omission must be a material one—that is one that would have changed consumer behavior.[29]

Federal Trade Commission entrance doorway in Washington, DC
Federal Trade Commission entrance doorway in Washington, DC

Dot Com Disclosures guide

In its Dot Com Disclosures guide,[30] the FTC said that "disclosures that are required to prevent deception or to provide consumers material information about a transaction must be presented clearly and conspicuously."[30] The FTC suggested a number of different factors that would help determine whether the information was "clear and conspicuous" including but not limited to:

  • the placement of the disclosure in an advertisement and its proximity to the claim it is qualifying,
  • the prominence of the disclosure,
  • whether items in other parts of the advertisement distract attention from the disclosure,
  • whether the advertisement is so lengthy that the disclosure needs to be repeated,
  • whether disclosures in audio messages are presented in an adequate volume and cadence and visual disclosures appear for a sufficient duration, and
  • whether the language of the disclosure is understandable to the intended audience.[30]

However, the "key is the overall net impression."[30]

Notable recent cases

Cyberspace.com case

In F.T.C. v. Cyberspace.com[31] the FTC found that sending consumers mail that appeared to be a check for $3.50 to the consumer attached to an invoice was deceptive when cashing the check constituted an agreement to pay a monthly fee for internet access. The back of the check, in fine print, disclosed the existence of this agreement to the consumer. The FTC concluded that the practice was misleading to reasonable consumers, especially since there was evidence that less than one percent of the 225,000 individuals and businesses billed for the internet service actually logged on.[31]

Gateway Learning case

In In re Gateway Learning Corp. the FTC alleged that Gateway committed unfair and deceptive trade practices by making retroactive changes to its privacy policy without informing customers and by violating its own privacy policy by selling customer information when it had said it would not.[32] Gateway settled the complaint by entering into a consent decree with the FTC that required it to surrender some profits and placed restrictions upon Gateway for the following 20 years.[33]

Sears Holdings case

In In the Matter of Sears Holdings Management Corp., the FTC alleged that a research software program provided by Sears was deceptive because it collected information about nearly all online behavior, a fact that was only disclosed in legalese, buried within the end user license agreement.[34]

Loot boxes in computer and video games as gambling

In November 2018 by request of US Senator Maggie Hassan, the FTC decided to investigate whether paid-for loot boxes, virtual items with random benefits in certain video games, were a form of gambling.[35][36][37][38]

Money Now Funding / Cash4Businesses case

In September 2013, a federal court closed an elusive business opportunity scheme on the request of the FTC, namely "Money Now Funding"/"Cash4Businesses".[39] The FTC alleged that the defendants misrepresented potential earnings, violated the National Do Not Call Register, and violated the FTC's Business Opportunity Rule in preventing a fair consumer evaluation of the business.[40] This was one of the first definitive actions taken by any regulator against a company engaging in transaction laundering, where almost US$6 million were processed illicitly.[41][42]

In December 2018, two defendants, Nikolas Mihilli and Dynasty Merchants, LLC, settled with the FTC.[43] They were banned from processing credit card transactions, though the initial monetary judgment of $5.8 million was suspended due to the defendants’ inability to pay.

OMICS Publishing Group case

In 2016, the FTC launched action against the academic journal publisher OMICS Publishing Group for producing predatory journals and organizing predatory conferences.[44] This action, partly in response to ongoing pressure from the academic community,[45] is the first action taken by the FTC against an academic journal publisher.[46][47]

The complaint alleges that the defendants have been "deceiving academics and researchers about the nature of its publications and hiding publication fees ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars".[48] It additionally notes that "OMICS regularly advertises conferences featuring academic experts who were never scheduled to appear in order to attract registrants"[45] and that attendees "spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on registration fees and travel costs to attend these scientific conferences."[48] Manuscripts are also sometimes held hostage, with OMICS refusing to allow submissions to be withdrawn and thereby preventing resubmission to another journal for consideration.[46] Library scientist Jeffrey Beall has described OMICS as among the most egregious of predatory publishers.[45][49] In November 2017, a federal court in the Court for the District of Nevada granted a preliminary injunction that:

"prohibits the defendants from making misrepresentations regarding their academic journals and conferences, including that specific persons are editors of their journals or have agreed to participate in their conferences. It also prohibits the defendants from falsely representing that their journals engage in peer review, that their journals are included in any academic journal indexing service, or any measurement of the extent to which their journals are cited. It also requires that the defendants clearly and conspicuously disclose all costs associated with submitting or publishing articles in their journals."[50]

Activities in the healthcare industry

In addition to prospective analysis of the effects of mergers and acquisitions, the FTC has recently resorted to retrospective analysis and monitoring of consolidated hospitals.[51] Thus, it also uses retroactive data to demonstrate that some hospital mergers and acquisitions are hurting consumers, particularly in terms of higher prices.[51] Here are some recent examples of the FTC's success in blocking or unwinding of hospital consolidations or affiliations:

Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and Palmyra Medical Center in Georgia

In 2011, the FTC successfully challenged in court the $195 million acquisition of Palmyra Medical Center by Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.[51][52] The FTC alleged that the transaction would create a monopoly as it would "reduce competition significantly and allow the combined Phoebe/Palmyra to raise prices for general acute-care hospital services charged to commercial health plans, substantially harming patients and local employers and employees".[52] The Supreme Court on February 19, 2013, ruled in favor of the FTC.[52]

ProMedica health system and St. Luke's hospital in Ohio

Similarly, court attempts by ProMedica health system in Ohio to overturn an order by the FTC to the company to unwind its 2010 acquisition of St. Luke's hospital were unsuccessful.[51][53] The FTC claimed that the acquisition would hurt consumers through higher premiums because insurance companies would be required to pay more.[53] In December 2011, an administrative judge upheld the FTC's decision, noting that the behavior of ProMedica health system and St. Luke's was indeed anticompetitive. The court ordered ProMedica to divest St. Luke's to a buyer that would be approved by the FTC within 180 days of the date of the order.[51][53]

OSF healthcare system and Rockford Health System in Illinois.

In November 2011, the FTC filed a lawsuit alleging that the proposed acquisition of Rockford by OSF would drive up prices for general acute-care inpatient services as OSF would face only one competitor (SwedishAmerican health system) in the Rockford area and would have a market share of 64%.[54] Later in 2012, OSF announced that it had abandoned its plans to acquire Rockford Health System.[54]

Discover more about Notable recent cases related topics

In re Gateway Learning Corp.

In re Gateway Learning Corp.

In re Gateway Learning Corp, 138 F.T.C. 443 File No. 042-3047, was an investigatory action by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of the Gateway Learning Corporation, distributor of Hooked on Phonics. In its complaint, the FTC alleged that Gateway had committed both unfair and deceptive trade practices by violating the terms of its own privacy policy and making retroactive changes to its privacy policy without notifying its customers. Gateway reached a settlement with the FTC, entering into a consent decree in July 2004, before formal charges were filed.

Maggie Hassan

Maggie Hassan

Margaret Coldwell Wood Hassan is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from New Hampshire since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Hassan was the 81st governor of New Hampshire from 2013 to 2017.

Loot box

Loot box

In video games, a loot box is a consumable virtual item which can be redeemed to receive a randomised selection of further virtual items, or loot, ranging from simple customization options for a player's avatar or character to game-changing equipment such as weapons and armor. A loot box is typically a form of monetisation, with players either buying the boxes directly or receiving the boxes during play and later buying "keys" with which to redeem them. These systems may also be known as gacha and integrated into gacha games.

Video game

Video game

A video game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device to generate visual feedback from a display device, most commonly shown in a video format on a television set, computer monitor, flat-panel display or touchscreen on handheld devices, or a virtual reality headset, hence the name. However, not all video games are dependent on graphical outputs; for example, text adventure games and computer chess can be played through teletype printers. Most modern video games are audiovisual, with audio complement delivered through speakers or headphones, and sometimes also with other types of sensory feedback, and some video games also allow microphone and webcam inputs for in-game chatting and livestreaming.

Gambling

Gambling

Gambling is the wagering of something of value on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elements to be present: consideration, risk (chance), and a prize. The outcome of the wager is often immediate, such as a single roll of dice, a spin of a roulette wheel, or a horse crossing the finish line, but longer time frames are also common, allowing wagers on the outcome of a future sports contest or even an entire sports season.

OMICS Publishing Group

OMICS Publishing Group

OMICS Publishing Group is a predatory publisher of open access academic journals. It started publishing its first journal in 2008. By 2015, it claimed over 700 journals, although about half of them were defunct. Its subsidiaries and brands include Allied Academies, Conference Series LLC LTD, EuroSciCon LTD, Hilaris Publishing, iMedPub LTD, Longdom Publishing SL, Meetings International, Pulsus Group, Research & Reviews, SciTechnol, Trade Science Inc.

Jeffrey Beall

Jeffrey Beall

Jeffrey Beall is an American librarian and library scientist, who drew attention to "predatory open access publishing", a term he coined, and created Beall's list, a list of potentially predatory open-access publishers. He is a critic of the open access publishing movement and particularly how predatory publishers use the open access concept, and is known for his blog Scholarly Open Access. He has also written on this topic in The Charleston Advisor, in Nature, in Learned Publishing, and elsewhere.

United States District Court for the District of Nevada

United States District Court for the District of Nevada

The United States District Court for the District of Nevada is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Nevada. The court has locations in Las Vegas and Reno.

Supreme Court of the United States

Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of U.S. Constitutional or federal law. It also has original jurisdiction over a narrow range of cases, specifically "all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party." The court holds the power of judicial review, the ability to invalidate a statute for violating a provision of the Constitution. It is also able to strike down presidential directives for violating either the Constitution or statutory law. However, it may act only within the context of a case in an area of law over which it has jurisdiction. The court may decide cases having political overtones, but has ruled that it does not have power to decide non-justiciable political questions.

Ohio

Ohio

Ohio, officially the State of Ohio is a state in the Midwestern United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area. With a population of nearly 11.8 million, Ohio is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated state. Its capital and largest city is Columbus, with the Columbus metro area, Greater Cincinnati, and Greater Cleveland being the largest metropolitan areas. Ohio is bordered by Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the west, and Michigan to the northwest. Ohio is nicknamed the "Buckeye State" after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes". Its state flag is the only non-rectangular flag of all the U.S. states.

Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is a state in the Midwestern United States. It shares borders with Wisconsin to its north, Iowa to its northwest, Missouri to its southwest, Kentucky to its south, and Indiana to its east. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other metropolitan areas include Peoria and Rockford, as well as Springfield, its capital. Of the fifty U.S. states, Illinois has the fifth-largest gross domestic product (GDP), the sixth-largest population, and the 25th-largest land area.

Source: "Federal Trade Commission", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 21st), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Trade_Commission.

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Further Reading

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

False advertising

Movieland

Jon Leibowitz

Federal Trade Commission v. Vemma Nutrition Company
See also
References
  1. ^ "FTC Agency Financial Report" (PDF). ftc.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  2. ^ https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/agency-financial-report-fy2019/ftc_agency_financial_report_fy2019.pdf
  3. ^ [1] Archived August 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Federal Trade Commission: A History". Ftc.gov. January 18, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  5. ^ Van Loo, Rory (October 1, 2019). "The Missing Regulatory State: Monitoring Businesses in an Age of Surveillance". Vanderbilt Law Review. 72 (5): 1563.
  6. ^ "Commissioners". Federal Trade Commission. June 7, 2013. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Fayne, James A. (1915). "The Federal Trade Commission: The Development of the Law which led to its Establishment". American Political Science Review. 9 (1): 57–67. doi:10.2307/1945762. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 1945762. S2CID 146939544.
  8. ^ a b A Brief History of the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Trade Commission, 90th Anniversary Symposium.
  9. ^ Republican Party Platform of 1912, June 18, 1912; Democratic Party Platform of 1912, June 25, 1912; USCB.edu
  10. ^ Platform of the Progressive Party, August 7, 1912; PBS.org
  11. ^ a b FTC Announces Results of Compliance Testing of Over 300 Funeral Homes in the Second Year of the Funeral Rule Offenders Program Archived June 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Federal Trade Commission, February 25, 1998
  12. ^ "Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule - 16 CFR Part 453". Ftc.gov. October 24, 2008. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  13. ^ "Business Opportunity Scam "Epidemic"". Ftc.gov. July 18, 1995. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  14. ^ Hurley, Lawrence (April 22, 2021). "U.S. Supreme Court curbs FTC's power to recoup ill-gotten gains". Reuters. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Independent commissioners have shaped key FTC decisions - FTCWatch". www.mlexwatch.com. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "Biden taps big tech critic Lina Khan to chair the Federal Trade Commission". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  17. ^ LexisNexis. "Breaking down barriers: Recruiting and promoting Black antitrust lawyers". mlexmarketinsight.com. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  18. ^ Birnbaum, Emily. "What to watch at Lina Khan's confirmation hearing". POLITICO. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  19. ^ "Office of Technology Research and Investigation". Federal Trade Commission. August 5, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  20. ^ "FTC Chief Technologists". Federal Trade Commission. May 1, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  21. ^ "Professor Tim Wu Named Advisor to Federal Trade Commission on Consumer Protection, Competition". www.law.columbia.edu. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  22. ^ "Professor Paul Ohm Named Advisor to Federal Trade Commission". Colorado Law. May 21, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  23. ^ "FTC Names Latanya Sweeney as Chief Technologist; Andrea Matwyshyn as Policy Advisor". Federal Trade Commission. November 18, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  24. ^ Van Loo, Rory (August 1, 2018). "Regulatory Monitors: Policing Firms in the Compliance Era". Faculty Scholarship. 119 (2): 369.
  25. ^ Van Loo, Rory (April 1, 2020). "The New Gatekeepers: Private Firms as Public Enforcers". Virginia Law Review. 106 (2): 467.
  26. ^ "FTC Issues Revised "Green Guides"". October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  27. ^ 15 U.S.C. § 45(a)(1)
  28. ^ a b "FTC Policy Statement on Unfairness, Dec. 17, 1980". Ftc.gov. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  29. ^ a b c "FTC Policy Statement on Deception, Oct. 14, 1983". Ftc.gov. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  30. ^ a b c d ".com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising, March 2013" (PDF). FTC. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  31. ^ a b "453 F.3d 1196 (9th Cir. 2006)". Openjurist.org. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  32. ^ "Complaint" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 23, 2004. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  33. ^ "Gateway Decision and Order, Sept. 2004" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 23, 2004. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  34. ^ "Sears Complaint" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  35. ^ Webb, Kevin. "The FTC will investigate whether a multi-billion dollar business model is getting kids hooked on gambling through video games". Business Insider. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  36. ^ "FTC Will Investigate Loot Boxes, US Senator Claims "Close Link" To Gambling". Gaming News, Reviews, and Articles - TechRaptor.net. November 28, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  37. ^ "The FTC Finally Agreed to Investigate Loot Boxes". Tom's Hardware. November 28, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  38. ^ "Video game 'loot boxes' net big money — and some say create child gamblers". NBC News. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  39. ^ "FTC Halts Elusive Business Opportunity Scheme". Federal Trade Commission. September 26, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  40. ^ "Case 2:13-cv-01583-ROS Document 95 Filed 09/13/13" (PDF). FTC.
  41. ^ "What is transaction laundering and what is the Industry doing about it?". Payments Cards & Mobile. March 15, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  42. ^ "FTC Targets Transaction Laundering In Landmark Lawsuit". EverCompliant. September 13, 2017. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  43. ^ "Two Defendants Settle Allegations in 'Money Now Funding' Credit Card Charge Laundering Scheme". Federal Trade Commission. December 10, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  44. ^ "FTC sues OMICS group: Are predatory publishers' days numbered?". STAT News. September 2, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  45. ^ a b c Straumsheim, Carl (August 29, 2016). "Federal Trade Commission begins to crack down on 'predatory' publishers". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  46. ^ a b McCook, Alison (August 26, 2016). "U.S. government agency sues publisher, charging it with deceiving researchers". Retraction Watch. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  47. ^ "OMICS Group Inc". Federal Trade Commission. May 1, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  48. ^ a b Shonka, David C.; Rusu, Ioana; Ashe, Gregory A.; Bogden, Daniel G.; Welsh, Blaine T. (August 25, 2016). "Case No. 2:16-cv-02022 – Complaint for Permanent Injunction and Other Equitable Relief" (PDF). Case 2:16-cv-02022. Federal Trade Commission. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  49. ^ Bailey, Jonathan (September 12, 2016). "Federal Trade Commission Targeting Predatory Publishers". iThenticate – Plagiarism Blog. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  50. ^ "FTC Halts the Deceptive Practices of Academic Journal Publishers". Federal Trade Commission. November 22, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  51. ^ a b c d e "What hospital executives should be considering in mergers and acquisitions" (PDF). DHG Healthcare. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  52. ^ a b c "In the Matter of Phoebe Putney Health System, Inc., Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Inc., Phoebe North, Inc., HCA Inc., Palmyra Park Hospital, Inc., and Hospital Authority of Albany-Dougherty County". Federal Trade Commission. April 20, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  53. ^ a b c "Administrative Law Judge Upholds FTC's Complaint Against Ohio Hospital Deal, Orders ProMedica to Divest St. Luke's Hospital". Federal Trade Commission. January 5, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  54. ^ a b "OSF Healthcare System Abandons Plans to Buy Rockford in Light of FTC Lawsuit; FTC Dismisses its Complaint Seeking to Block the Transaction". Federal Trade Commission. April 13, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  • Winerman, Marc (2003). "The Origins of the FTC: Concentration, Cooperation, Control, and Competition". Antitrust Law Journal. 71 (1): 1–98.
Further reading
  • Davis, G. Cullom (1962). "The Transformation of the Federal Trade Commission, 1914–1929". The Mississippi Valley Historical Review. 49 (3): 437–455. doi:10.2307/1902564. JSTOR 1902564.
  • MacIntyre, A. Everette; Volhard, Joachim J. (1970). "The Federal Trade Commission". Boston College Law Review. 11 (4): 723–783.
  • MacLean, Elizabeth Kimball (July 2007). "Joseph E. Davies: The Wisconsin Idea and the Origins of the Federal Trade Commission". Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. 6 (3): 248–284. doi:10.1017/S1537781400002097. S2CID 161773580.
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