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☆ Scott Sheffield, former Pioneer CEO, accused of trying to conspire with OPEC to inflate prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Scott Sheffield, the founder and longtime CEO of a leading American oil producer, attempted to collude with OPEC and its allies to inflate prices, federal regulators alleged on Thursday. Regulators say Sheffield, then the CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, used WhatsApp conversations, in-person meetings and public statements to try to “align oil production” in the Permian Basin in Texas with that of OPEC and OPEC+, the wider group that includes Russia. Unlike with OPEC nations, US oil production is supposed to be decided by the free market, not by coordination among the major players. The FTC said that while Sheffield was discussing efforts to coordinate output with other Texas producers, the Pioneer CEO said: “If Texas leads the way, maybe we can get OPEC to cut production. Exxon said that in response to the FTC’s concerns, it will not add Sheffield to its board.

Persons: New York CNN — Scott Sheffield, “ Mr, —, Kyle Mach, Sheffield “, Douglas Farrar, Sheffield, ”, Exxon Organizations: New, New York CNN, OPEC, Federal Trade Commission, Sheffield, Organization of, Petroleum, Saudi Arabia, Regulators, Pioneer Natural Resources, FTC, ExxonMobil, Competition, CNN, Railroad Commission, Texas, Exxon Locations: New York, American, Saudi, Sheffield, Texas, OPEC, Russia, FTC’s, Saudi Arabia

☆ FTC is sued by business groups over its ban on noncompete agreements, which may delay enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Another lawsuit was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas by business tax services firm Ryan. “The FTC contends that by using regulation they can simply declare common business practices to be ‘unfair methods of competition’ and thus illegal. “If the FTC can regulate noncompete agreements, then they can decide to regulate or even ban any other business practice. Long delays may be on tap before the rule takes effectThe FTC rule isn’t set to go into effect until 120 days from the day it is published in the Federal Register. In the near term, “I’m generally telling clients to take a wait-and-see approach with respect to the FTC rule while court challenges play out in the next few weeks,” Turinsky said.

Persons: Ryan, ”, Daniel Turinsky, DLA Piper, Lina Khan, Jake Tapper ”, isn’t, —, ” Turinsky, James Witz, ” Witz Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Trade Commission, US Chamber of Commerce, Business, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of, US Chamber, FTC, Chamber, Longview Chamber, Commerce, Federal Locations: New York, United States, Eastern District, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Longview, Longview , Texas, Texas, Littler

☆ Jamie Dimon fears for the future of the free world and US debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is worried about the future of the free world. “The geopolitical situation is probably the most complicated and dangerous since World War II,” Dimon said during a talk at the Economic Club of New York on Tuesday. “The world order that formed after WWII, Bretton Woods, WTO [the World Trade Organization], and the UN is kind of being challenged,” he said. This is not the first time Dimon has warned that the world is on the brink of a massive realignment. The country’s national debt is now over $34.5 trillion, or about $103,000 for every American.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, ” Dimon, Dimon, Bretton, ”, That’s, “, Jerome Powell, Niall Ferguson, Chris Isidore, Tesla, Elon Musk, Jeanne Sahadi, Joe Biden, “ won’t Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, JPMorgan, Economic, of New, World Trade Organization, UN, AAA, NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Federal, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, of Commerce Locations: New York, of New York, Ukraine, NATO, Israel, US, China, Bretton Woods, WTO, Russia

☆ FTC bans employers from using noncompete clauses
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday voted to ban for-profit US employers from making employees sign agreements with noncompete clauses. And – with one exception – it makes currently existing noncompete agreements unenforceable after the rule’s effective date, which is set at 120 days from the rule’s publication in the Federal Register. The rule, however, does allow currently existing noncompete agreements for senior executives to remain in force. The ban would apply nationwide, overriding state laws regarding noncompete agreements. In December of last year, New York State Governor Kathleen Hochul vetoed a bill passed by the state legislature to completely ban noncompete agreements in that state.

Persons: Joe Biden, “ won’t, ”, Stefanie Camfield, Daryl Joseffer, “, ” Joseffer, Neil Bradley, Kathleen Hochul, Anne Clark, Vladeck, Raskin, Clark P.C, Amanda Wait, DLA Piper, Clark Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, of Commerce, Federal Register, Washington , D.C, Engage, Chamber’s Litigation, New York Locations: New York, California, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Washington ,, Colorado , Maryland , Oregon, Rhode

☆ US sues to block Tapestry’s Capri deal citing handbag market domination
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The US Federal Trade Commission said on Monday it was suing to block Coach parent Tapestry’s $8.5 billion deal to buy Michael Kors owner Capri, saying it would eliminate competition. This comes at a time when several US lawmakers have sought increased scrutiny from the FTC of several multi-billion dollar deals that might risk higher prices and affect consumers. US antitrust enforcers had also come out with new merger guidelines in December, in a bid to encourage fair, open and competitive markets. But the FTC requested more information from the firms on their deal in November. “Capri Holdings strongly disagrees with the FTC’s decision,” the company said in a statement.

Persons: Michael Kors, Capri, Tapestry, Louis Vuitton, “, Kate Spade, Jimmy Choo Organizations: US Federal Trade Commission, Capri, “ Capri Holdings, FTC, European Union, Japan

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok over its data and security practices, a probe that could lead to a settlement or a lawsuit against the company, according to a person familiar with the matter. In its investigation, the FTC has been looking into whether TikTok violated a portion of federal law that prohibits “unfair and deceptive” business practices by denying that individuals in China had access to U.S. user data, said the person, who is not authorized to discuss the investigation. FTC spokesperson Nicole Drayton and TikTok declined to comment on the investigation, which was first reported by Politico. The agency is nearing the conclusion of its investigation and could settle with TikTok in the coming weeks. Lawmakers and intelligence officials have said they worry the platform could be used by the Chinese government to access U.S. user data or influence Americans through its popular algorithm.

Persons: TikTok, Nicole Drayton, there’s, Mark Warner, Marco Rubio, Lina Khan, ByteDance, hasn’t Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Politico, TikTok, Justice Department, Republican, Buzzfeed, Buzzfeed News, The Financial Times, Senate Locations: Washington, U.S, Beijing, China

☆ Reddit discloses FTC probe into its AI content licensing practices
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Washington CNN —The Federal Trade Commission is looking into Reddit’s plans to license its platform content to artificial intelligence companies, the social media company disclosed Friday in a securities filing. The FTC sent Reddit a letter on Thursday outlining the scope of the inquiry, Reddit said in the filing. “The FTC’s staff is conducting a non-public inquiry focused on our sale, licensing, or sharing of user-generated content with third parties to train AI models,” Reddit disclosed. The company has entered into an agreement to share its platform data with Google in order to train the tech giant’s AI models. Reddit said earlier this week that it expects to price shares between $31 and $34 each when it makes its IPO offering.

Persons: Reddit, ” Reddit, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Google

☆ FTC sues H&R Block over issues tied to its online free file option
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The consumer protection agency’s complaint alleges that H&R Block makes it unnecessarily time consuming and frustrating for consumers to downgrade to a lower cost tax-preparation option online after initially selecting a higher cost one. “H&R Block deceptively markets its Online Products by representing to consumers that they can file for free using H&R Block, when in fact, many consumers have tax situations that are not covered by H&R Block’s Online Product,” according to the complaint. We are confident in the value our services and offerings provide to our clients who have trusted H&R Block for nearly 70 years,” Redler said. H&R Block told CNN “there is no threshold. Earlier this month, the FTC took similar action against Intuit, maker of Turbo Tax tax filing software, “for deceiving consumers with bogus advertisements pitching ‘free’ tax filing that millions of consumers could not use.”

Persons: “, Dara Redler, ” Redler, It’s, Jeff Jones, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Products, CNN, FTC, Block, CNN Business, Intuit, Turbo Locations: New York

☆ Blocking Kroger’s mega-merger with Albertsons won’t save your local grocery store
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

High grocery prices helped scuttle the dealInflation at the grocery store loomed over the proposed merger. Over the past four years, grocery prices have risen significantly,” the FTC said in its lawsuit. Kroger had committed to invest $500 million in lower prices and $1.3 billion to improve Albertsons’ stores if the merger cleared. Yet consolidation in the grocery sector is growing, and small grocery stores are struggling. Traditional grocery stores have also lost ground to Walmart, Costco, dollar stores and online retailers during that span.

Persons: it’s, Kroger, Ash, “, ” Greg Ferrara, Joe Biden, Lina Khan, Khan, Marc Perrone, ” Sen, Elizabeth Warren, ” Joe Feldman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Kroger, Albertsons ’, Albertsons, Walmart, FTC, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Albertsons Cos, Safeway, Bloomberg, Getty, Agriculture Department, Costco, Independent, National Grocers Association, Meta, Microsoft, Unions, Democrats, Food, Commercial Workers ’, ”, Top Democratic, Twitter, Aldi, Activision, Telsey Advisory Locations: New York, Scottsdale , Arizona

☆ US government sues to block largest supermarket merger in history
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued to block the $25 billion deal between Kroger and Albertsons, alleging the largest supermarket merger in US history would lead to higher prices for consumers. The merger, announced in 2022, sought to combine the fifth and tenth largest retailers in the country. “This supermarket mega merger comes as American consumers have seen the cost of groceries rise steadily over the past few years. With the FTC’s blessing, Haggen, a small supermarket chain in the Northwest with just 18 locations, bought 146 of the former Albertsons and Safeway stores. She criticized the FTC’s handling of Albertsons’ deal with Safeway, pointing to it as a prime example of the limitations of divestitures.

Persons: Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, Kroger, Rodney McMullen, Henry Liu, Piggly, Khan, Lina Khan, Haggen, ” Khan, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FTC, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Competition, S Wholesale Grocers, Democrats, Republicans, Capitol Locations: New York, United States, Aldi, FTC’s, Northwest

☆ FTC fines cybersecurity company Avast $16.5 million for tracking and selling user data
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Cybersecurity software company Avast faces a $16.5 million fine from the Federal Trade Commission after the agency filed a complaint Wednesday accusing the company of selling consumer data to third parties. The FTC says Avast, a firm that promises to protect consumer data from online tracking, has done the opposite, collecting and selling user browsing data without knowledge or consent while simultaneously misleading users. Furthermore, the FTC says Avast told users it would only share information in “anonymous and aggregate form,” though this was not the case. “Because it is intrinsically sensitive, browsing data warrants heightened protection.”The FTC says Avast sold data to a range of over 100 clients, including consulting firms, advertising companies and data brokers. On top of the multi-million dollar fine, Avast is being hit with a ban from the FTC to prohibit the company from selling or licensing data for advertising purposes.

Persons: Avast, Lina Khan, “, ” Khan, “ Avast, ” Samuel Levine, ” Avast Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Soviet Bloc, Gen Digital, Avast, Consumer Protection Locations: Czechoslovakia, Tempe , Arizona, Prague, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Czech, FTC’s

“Losing the love was worse than losing the money,” said Kleinart, 70, who lost tens of thousands to a romance scam over several months. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received over 64,000 romance scams reports that translated into $1.14 billion in reported losses. Romance scams often target lonely and isolated individuals, according to Will Maxson, assistant director of the Division of Marketing Practices at the FTC. Specifically for older people, romance scams are among the most common scams, said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention at AARP. However, she noted people from all ages can fall for a romance scam.

Persons: Kate Kleinart, ”, Kleinart, Will Maxson, “, —, Kathy Stokes, Genevieve Waterman, Waterman, ” Waterman, scammers, it’s, Stokes, Hey, ” Stokes, Charles Schwab Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, AARP, National Council, Aging, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP Locations: Spain

☆ Don’t ‘surreptitiously’ use Americans’ data to train AI, FTC warns businesses
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —US companies may find themselves under federal scrutiny if they “quietly” try to funnel customers’ personal information into training artificial intelligence models, the government warned this week. The warning by the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s top privacy and consumer protection agency, highlights the enormous value of Americans’ personal data. “You may have heard that ‘data is the new oil,’” the agency said, referencing an adage describing the way personal information is a critical input powering the machinery of Big Tech. “There is perhaps no data refinery as large-capacity and as data-hungry as AI.”Many companies disclose how they use customer or user information in their privacy policies. But simply updating a privacy policy to say that a company will now use personal data collected for other purposes to train AI isn’t transparent enough and could violate the law, the FTC said.

Persons: “, Gary Gensler Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Netflix, Big Tech, FTC, Securities and Exchange Commission

☆ The NSA buys Americans’ internet data, newly released documents show
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —The National Security Agency has been buying Americans’ web browsing data from commercial data brokers without warrants, intelligence officials disclosed in documents made public by a US senator Thursday. The purchases involve what Nakasone described as netflow data, or the technical information generated by devices as they use the internet. Nakasone added that the NSA does not purchase cellphone location data of Americans or location data generated by automotive infotainment systems in the United States. “NSA purchases commercially available Netflow data for its cybersecurity mission, to include but not limited to inform the Agency’s collection, analysis, and dissemination of cyber threat intelligence,” an NSA official said. As part of Thursday’s announcement, Wyden wrote a letter to the Biden administration urging it to stop the warrantless surveillance of Americans through the purchases of internet data.

Persons: Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Biden, ”, Paul Nakasone, Wyden, Nakasone, “, Ronald Moultrie, Allison Nixon, ” Nixon, Timothy Haugh, ” Wyden, Avril Haines, Haines, Lina Khan, CNN’s Sean Lyngaas Organizations: Washington CNN, National Security Agency, Oregon Democratic, Pentagon, CNN, The New York Times, NSA, Defense Department, cyberattacks, Defense Intelligence Agency, Federal Trade Commission, InMarket Media, FTC Locations: Oregon, United States, U.S

☆ Government warns funeral homes to stop misleading bereaved customers about pricing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The FTC conducted an undercover phone sweep of more than 250 funeral homes, placing calls to obtain pricing information. For 38 calls, the agency said the funeral homes either refused to answer questions about pricing or gave inconsistent information about identical services. Funeral homes have to follow the FTC’s “Funeral Rule,” which provides bereaved consumers rights during the process and holds the business to strict requirements. One of the caveats is that funeral homes must give customers a general price list, and customers have the right to choose which services they want. Funeral homes that don’t comply could pay up to $51,744 per violation.

Persons: ” Lesley Fair Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, National, FTC’s, Consumer Protection Locations: New York, That’s, Laredo , Texas, Philadelphia

☆ Texas man sues Macy’s and Sunglass Hut parent over wrongful arrest linked to facial recognition
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A Texas man is suing Macy’s and the parent company of Sunglass Hut after the two companies allegedly relied on error-prone facial recognition technology to falsely accuse him of armed robbery. “They were misled by Sunglass Hut and Macy’s and the reason why Murphy was jailed is because of the actions of these companies. In 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union challenged Detroit’s police department over what the group described as the first known wrongful arrest involving facial recognition. Facial recognition concernsFor years, civil liberties and privacy experts have warned of the risks of overly casual facial recognition use or an overreliance on the technology, and the possibility that algorithmic bias could lead to misidentification, racial discrimination or other unintended consequences. The FTC has similarly moved to restrict Instagram-parent Meta from using facial recognition technology, which Meta has challenged in court.

Persons: CNN —, Macy’s, Harvey Murphy Jr, Murphy’s, Murphy, ”, Daniel Dutko, “, EssilorLuxottica didn’t, EssilorLuxottica, Dutko, ” Dutko, Sunglass, “ We’re, they’re, ‘ We’ve, Meta Organizations: CNN, The Washington Post, Houston police, Department of Motor Vehicles, Houston, American Civil Liberties Union, Office, Federal Trade Commission, Aid, FTC Locations: Texas, Sunglass, Harris County, Houston, Sacramento , California, Harris, EssilorLuxottica, Michigan, Detroit

☆ Feds crack down hard on selling of personal data without consent
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US government is coming down hard on a data broker accused of selling consumers’ detailed location histories without their consent, highlighting privacy regulators’ growing focus on a sensitive and revealing form of personal information. But InMarket never got those people’s informed consent before using that data for advertising, according to the FTC. In addition to banning InMarket from selling or licensing the data, it also forced the company to either delete all of its previously collected location data or to take steps to anonymize it. Policy experts have highlighted the potential for location data to reveal whether a person has sought certain medical care. “All too often, Americans are tracked by serial data hoarders that endlessly vacuum up and use personal information,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement on the InMarket settlement.

Persons: InMarket, ”, ” InMarket, “, Roe, Wade, Thursday’s, —, Lina Khan, “ We’ll Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, InMarket Media, FTC, Google Locations: Texas

☆ Meta sues FTC to block tough new restrictions on kids’ data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Thursday’s lawsuit in Washington federal court calls for a halt to the FTC’s proceeding, arguing that it is an unconstitutional abuse of government power. Meta appealed that decision on Tuesday, but Thursday’s lawsuit expands the company’s pushback further. The FTC declined to comment on the new suit. After alleging new violations of Meta’s 2020 consent order, the FTC proposed in May to expand the terms of the company’s settlement to include significant new restrictions barring it from monetizing the personal data of users under age 18. If approved, the restrictions could significantly limit Meta’s data-driven business, particularly as it seeks to court younger users and to grow in new product areas, such as virtual reality.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Meta Organizations: Washington CNN, Meta, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Supreme Locations: Washington

☆ FTC can seek tough new restrictons on Meta’s use of personal data, federal judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The decision Monday by District Judge Timothy Kelly allows the FTC to move ahead with a proposal banning Meta from profiting off data it collects from users under the age of 18. The package of potential restrictions would represent some of the most significant impositions on Meta’s business since the 2020 privacy order that resolved a federal probe into the company’s Cambridge Analytica privacy fiasco. Meta had previously called the FTC proposal “a political stunt” that singles out Meta “while allowing Chinese companies like TikTok to operate without constraint on American soil.”The FTC declined to comment on the ruling. It’s unclear when the FTC may finalize its proposed rules, Gallant added, but it could occur in the spring of 2024. Meta could still attempt to challenge any eventual FTC rule changes in federal court.

Persons: Timothy Kelly, Meta, ”, Kelly, Paul Gallant, TD Cowen, Gallant Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Meta, Court, District of Columbia, Appeals, DC Circuit Locations: Cambridge

NEW YORK (AP) —The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday said it issued warnings to two food and beverage industry groups, as well as a dozen online influencers, for failing to adequately disclose paid social media posts that promoted a sweetener and sugary products. The warnings follow updated guidelines the agency published this summer requiring influencers to prominently disclose advertisements and paid social media posts that promote products for companies. The FTC said it reviewed posts by health influencers — including registered dieticians — who endorse “sugar-containing products” and appear to be paid by the Canadian Sugar Institute. The agency wrote in the letters to the trade groups that the posts may violate federal law and could cost them up to $50,120 in penalties per violation. The Canadian Sugar Institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: influencers, dieticians —, William M, Dermody Jr, dieticians, ” Dermody, “, ” Samuel Levine Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, American Beverage Association, PepsiCo, Canadian Sugar Institute, FTC, Health, American Beverage, Consumer Locations: dietitians, FTC’s

From having a lot of empathy to knowing how to report a scam, experts shared their recommendations for talking about scams:Political Cartoons View All 1239 ImagesKNOW WHICH SCAMS COMMONLY TARGET OLDER PEOPLEKnowing which scams are most commonly used to target older people can help. According to the FTC, common lies by scammers include “I or someone close to me is sick, hurt, or in jail” and “I can teach you how to invest.”Other common scams are investment scams, tech support scams, and impersonation scams. HAVE CONSTANT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SCAMSOne of the best ways to raise awareness about scams is to talk to each other about them. To keep your older family members safe, Waterman recommends that families talk about scams more often in their day-to-day lives. If you’re looking for guides to avoid scams for older adults, you can find a variety of them on the National Council on Aging’s website.

Persons: Daniel Goldstein’s, hadn’t, it’s, scammers, ”, Genevieve Waterman, Kathy Stokes, ” Waterman, Waterman, Goldstein, they've, it's, Stokes, “, ” Stokes, ’ ”, Charles Schwab Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, National Council, Aging, AARP, FTC, Watch Network, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP Locations: scammers, ”

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission," on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 13, 2023. Surrounded by tech workers and VC investors in San Francisco, Khan reiterated her focus on artificial intelligence, an area her agency has been tasked with looking into by President Joe Biden's executive order this week. "We’re very much focused on using our laws to protect everybody: Consumers, but also workers," she said in a standing-room-only nightcap appearance in San Francisco on Thursday. Big Tech companies, particularly Amazon (AMZN.O) and Meta, view Khan, who rose to prominence after publishing a 2017 academic article pointing to Amazon’s practices as anticompetitive, as an impediment. Reporting by Krystal Hu and Greg Bensinger in San Francisco; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lina Khan, Kevin Wurm, Khan, Kahn, Joe Biden's, he'd, “, Krystal Hu, Greg Bensinger, Jamie Freed Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Federal Trade, Big Tech, D.C, Mission, Stanford University, Meta, Republican, Activision, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Silicon, New York, San Francisco

The FTC's excerpts say the tool - codenamed “Project Nessie” - has been used by Amazon to pinpoint products that will allow it to rake in more cash. The company used it to predict where it can raise prices and have other shopping sites follow suit. Amazon activated the algorithm to raise prices on some products, and when other sites followed its lead, it kept the elevated prices in place, the agency said. The agency said Amazon deployed Project Nessie in 2014 and has turned it on and off at least eight times between 2015 and 2019. In 2018 alone, Amazon used the algorithm to set prices for items that were viewed more than 400 million times by shoppers, according to the complaint.

Persons: Tim Doyle, ” Doyle, Jason Del Ray, Nessie, Doyle, “ Nessie, Jeff Bezos Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Amazon, Wall Street Journal, Nessie

☆ US lawmakers question tax prep companies on sharing of taxpayer data with Big Tech platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“Americans should be able to file their taxes without fear that their sensitive data will be shared with Big Tech companies,” said the letters, copies of which were obtained by CNN. The letters — led by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren — focus on the use of tracking technology developed by tech platforms and embedded within the tax prep companies’ websites that quietly transferred users’ personal information to Meta and Google, allegedly without their consent. Of the five tax prep companies, Intuit was not a major focus of the initial congressional probe because it did not use tracking pixels to the same extent as the others, the investigation found. They also asked the same question of each of the four other tax prep companies, as well as requesting a commitment to abide by the FTC’s warning not to use customer data in ways consumers did not expressly approve. The lawmakers requested that the tax prep firms respond by Nov. 8.

Persons: ”, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren —, Warren, Meta, — Sens, Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, Katie Porter Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Big Tech, Massachusetts Democratic, Meta, Google, FTC, Intuit, Ramsey Solutions, Oregon Democrat, Connecticut Democrat, Vermont Independent, Rhode, Rhode Island Democrat, House Democratic Locations: Oregon, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, California

☆ If Amazon, why not Walmart?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Shopping habits vary widely, however, and the company’s pricing strategies are commonly used, including at Walmart (WMT.N). According to the complaint, if Amazon finds a cheaper product elsewhere, it punishes the seller by removing merchandise from the “buy box,” effectively tanking sales. Thus, the argument goes, Amazon prevents rivals from competing on price. Walmart, which bought Jet.com in 2016 for $3 billion, is also just as discerning when it comes to online pricing. The agency accuses Amazon of stifling competition on price, product selection and quality, and preventing rivals from attracting a critical mass of shoppers and sellers.

Persons: Lina Khan, Andy Jassy, Walton, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Walmart, Amazon, FTC, eBay, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: United States

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