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In the 2019 agreement, Facebook, which became Meta in 2021, was required to pay $5 billion for violating an earlier agreement. The company filed a separate appeal against Judge Timothy Kelly's ruling this week that it should be an FTC judge, not a district judge, who decides that case. This new lawsuit, filed late on Wednesday, argues that it is unconstitutional for the FTC to unilaterally tighten an existing consent agreement. The Meta complaints focus on the agency's dual role of prosecuting a matter before an FTC judge. Once the FTC judge makes a decision it is the commission which votes on whether to accept it.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Judge Timothy Kelly's, Lina Khan, Rebecca Slaughter, Alvaro Bedoya, Meta, Diane Bartz, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Facebook Inc, Headquarters, REUTERS, Rights, Facebook, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Meta, FTC, Big Tech, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ US agency streamlines probes related to artificial intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Investigations of cases where artificial intelligence (AI) is used to break the law will be streamlined under a new process approved by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the agency said on Tuesday. The move, along with other actions, highlights the FTC's interest in pursuing cases involving AI. The agency, which now has three Democrats, voted unanimously to make it easier for staff to issue a demand for documents as part of an investigation if it is related to AI, the agency said in a statement. The agency announced a competition last week aimed at identifying the best way to protect consumers against fraud and other harms related to voice cloning.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rebecca Slaughter, Diane Bartz, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Democrat, Thomson

☆ U.S. Senate panel sends three FTC nominations to full Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter testifies on the "Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission" before the U.S. Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security Subcommittee in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted on Wednesday to send three nominations for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to the full Senate. THE TAKEIf confirmed by the Senate, as expected, adding the two Republicans will not change the balance of power at the five-member FTC, which also enforces antitrust law. A previous Republican FTC commissioner, Christine Wilson, quit this year and sharply criticized agency leadership. Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rebecca Slaughter, Leah Millis, Andrew Ferguson, Melissa Holyoak, Lina Khan, Christine Wilson, Diane Bartz, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Federal, Federal Trade Commission, U.S . Senate Consumer Protection, Safety, Insurance, Data, Russell Senate, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Senate, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Democrat, FTC, Democratic, Amazon.com, Albertsons, Republican, Thomson Locations: Russell, Washington , U.S, Virginia, Utah

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The deceptive use of artificial intelligence should be a priority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), three commissioner nominees said at a confirmation hearing Tuesday in show of bipartisanship on the popular issue. Ferguson was chief counsel to U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell from 2019 until 2021. Asked by Senator John Thune about the FTC's role in enforcing rules involving artificial intelligence, Slaughter said it was the FTC's job to pursue instances where laws against unfair and deceptive acts and practices were broken, whether or not artificial intelligence was used. A previous Republican FTC commissioner, Christine Wilson, quit this year and sharply criticized agency leadership.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rebecca Slaughter, Andrew Ferguson, Melissa Holyoak, Ferguson, Mitch McConnell, John Thune, Slaughter, Holyoak, Christine Wilson, Lina Khan, Diane Bartz, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Trade Commission, Democrat, Senate Republican, Republican, Senate, FTC, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Virginia, Utah

☆ US FTC leaders will target AI that violates civil rights or is deceptive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Graeme Jennings/Pool via REUTERSWASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - Leaders of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday the agency would pursue companies who misuse artificial intelligence to violate laws against discrimination or be deceptive. Bedoya said companies using algorithms or artificial intelligence were not allowed to violate civil rights laws or break rules against unfair and deceptive acts. "It's not okay to say that your algorithm is a black box" and you can't explain it, he said. Khan agreed the newest versions of AI could be used to turbocharge fraud and scams and any wrongdoing would "should put them on the hook for FTC action." Slaughter noted that the agency had throughout its 100 year history had to adapt to changing technologies and indicated that adapting to ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools were no different.

☆ FTC chair Lina Khan warns AI could ‘turbocharge’ fraud and scams
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT could lead to a “turbocharging” of consumer harms including fraud and scams, and the US government has substantial authority to crack down on AI-driven consumer harms under existing law, members of the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday. Addressing House lawmakers, FTC chair Lina Khan said the “turbocharging of fraud and scams that could be enabled by these tools are a serious concern.”In recent months, a new crop of AI tools have gained attention for their ability to generate convincing emails, stories and essays as well as images, audio and videos. While these tools have potential to change the way people work and create, some have also raised concerns about how they could be use to deceive by impersonating individuals. “Throughout the FTC’s history we have had to adapt our enforcement to changing technology,” said FTC Commissioners Rebecca Slaughter. “Our staff has been consistently saying our unfair and deceptive practices authority applies, our civil rights laws, fair credit, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, those apply,” said Bedoya.

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Christine Wilson, the sole Republican on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), said on Tuesday she will resign soon, blaming the move on the agency's top official, Lina Khan. "Much ink has been spilled about Lina Khan's attempts to remake federal antitrust law as chairman of the Federal Trade Commission," Wilson wrote in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. Wilson said in the piece that she would resign "soon" but gave no date. "I dissented on due-process grounds, which require those sitting in a judicial capacity to avoid even the appearance of unfairness," wrote Wilson. Wilson accused the Biden administration FTC of overstepping by being too aggressive in stopping mergers and banning most noncompete clauses.

☆ Warren tells FTC she is "particularly concerned" about Amgen and Indivior deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Warren said that both Amgen and Horizon Therapeutics "have engaged in brazen price increases," including on Amgen's Enbrel for arthritis and Horizon’s Krystexxa, a gout medication. She noted that the FTC had settled with Indivior and its former parent over its attempt to protect its monopoly of the opioid addiction treatment Suboxone. Indivior makes Sublocade -- a slow-release treatment for opioid addiction that is administered monthly. "The FTC should strongly consider Indivior's history of anti-competitive and deceptive practices when evaluating howIndivior might behave after this potential transaction is completed," wrote Warren. Warren noted that the FTC, which has long focused on healthcare mergers, said in 2021 that it would prioritize pharmaceutical acquisitions.

WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust law, proposed a rule that would ban companies from requiring workers to sign noncompete provisions as well as some training repayment agreements, which companies use to keep workers from leaving for better jobs, the agency said on Thursday. The rule would also require companies with existing noncompete agreements with workers to scrap them and to inform current and past employees that they have been canceled. The training repayment would be banned if it "is not reasonably related to the costs the employer incurred for training the worker." FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter said in 2020 that surveys have estimated that 16% to 18% of all U.S. workers are subject to noncompete provisions. Meanwhile, nearly 10% of American workers surveyed in 2020 were covered by a training repayment agreement, said the Cornell Survey Research Institute.

☆ U.S. targets non-compete clauses that block workers from getting better jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Noncompete agreements "block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand," said FTC Chair Lina Khan in a statement. The training repayment would be banned if it "is not reasonably related to the costs the employer incurred for training the worker," the proposed rule said. FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter said in 2020 that surveys have estimated that 16% to 18% of all U.S. workers are subject to noncompete provisions. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce indicated that it opposed the proposed rule. Ardagh Glass S.A. and O-I Glass Inc, the two largest U.S. glass container makers, had noncompete provisions that affected more than 1,700 workers.

☆ U.S. forces glass, security companies to drop noncompete clauses for workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Under pressure from the Biden administration, two glass container makers and a security company have agreed to drop noncompete requirements which limited where employees could work if they left their jobs. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces antitrust law, said that Ardagh Glass S.A. and O-I Glass Inc, the two largest U.S. glass container makers, had agreed to scrap their noncompete agreements, which affected more than 1,700 workers. Prudential Security, Inc and Prudential Command, two affiliated companies which have sold much of their business, also agreed to end enforcement of noncompete provisions in employment contracts. Ardagh, O-I Glass and Titan Security, which acquired Prudential Security, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter said in 2020 that surveys have estimated that noncompete provisions covered 16% to 18% of all U.S. workers.

☆ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls for Ticketmaster-Live Nation 'monopoly' to be broken up in response to Taylor Swift pre-sale controversy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Kayla Gallagher | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift's upcoming "Eras" tour went on sale Tuesday. Ocasio-Cortez took the opportunity to voice longstanding concern about the 2010 merger of Ticketmaster, the ticket sales and distribution company, and Live Nation, the events promoter and venue operator, into Live Nation Entertainment. "We write in support of strong antitrust enforcement by the Biden Administration, including the live event ticket sales marketplace," the letter begins. Social media influencer Ellie Schnitt tweeted, "When Taylor Swift wrote 'the great war' she was actually preparing us for the Battle of Ticketmaster." — Taylor Swift, but also Ticketmaster after its site crashed.

The four FTC commissioners voted three to one to begin the lengthy process of writing rules by seeking comments on the prevalence of fraudulent online reviews and junk fees. These are sometimes labeled "service charges" on phone bills or imposed by hotels as "resort fees." FTC guidelines already say that posting fake reviews and endorsements is illegal. And it has proposed a rule to ban junk fees by car sellers. The commission also voted to begin the process of updating existing rules governing funeral homes.

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