DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ A simple way to fix search: Bright pink ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

One simple solution: Require all Search ads to be bright pink. One simple solution: Require all Search ads to be bright pink. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen Search ads aren't labeled clearly, consumers don't spot them as much and click more often on the paid listings. 'Defects'Amazon entered the advertising business in a big way, and search ads are one of its most successful offerings. A 'uniform standard for labeling ads'Which brings us back to the simple solution: Search ads should be bright pink.

Persons: —, Mary Engle, Engle, Microsoft's Bing, BILL O'LEARY, Ben Edelman, Edelman, Jeff Bezos, wouldn't, Bing Organizations: Service, Federal Trade Commission, Google, Consumers, Getty, FTC, Microsoft, Amazon Locations: Washington

Apple | Spotify | Amazon Listen and follow ‘Hard Fork’Warning: this episode contains some explicit language. OpenAI has unveiled a new way to build custom chatbots. Kevin shows off a few that he has built — including a custom “Hard Fork” bot and a bot that gives investment advice inspired by his late grandfather. Then, we talk to Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, about the agency’s approach to regulating A.I. That, and Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent fraud conviction, have us asking, How much damage hath the crypto world wrought?

Persons: OpenAI, Kevin, Lina Khan, Sam Bankman Organizations: Apple, Spotify, Federal Trade Commission

☆ Amazon has an office in a former prison in the Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Caroline Haskins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In 2022, Amazon opened office space in de Koepel, a former prison in Haarlem, Netherlands. AdvertisementAdvertisementAmazon Web Services debuted a new office space in Haarlem, Netherlands in 2022 , but there's one unusual thing about it, which has gained traction on social media this week: the office is inside a former prison. Amazon uses space on the third floor of de Koepel, where prison cells have been converted into office spaces, and communal desks are available for individuals. The video shows a few former prison cells, with the AWS logo plastered just above the cell numbers. The prison is a dome-shaped building, with multiple stories of prison cells facing the central space.

Persons: —, De Koepel, underpaid, they're, Valerie Vallenduuk, Koepel Organizations: Amazon, Service, Federal Trade Commission, Rabobank Locations: Koepel, Haarlem, Netherlands, TikTok

☆ Apple asked Amazon to block rival ads. Insider found evidence of this special treatment, while others suffer from 'junk ads'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Other companies's product pages are cluttered with a mix of ads and product recommendations from competitors or sometimes irrelevant brands. The latest Apple product pages on Amazon have none of this extra marketing. In contrast, Amazon search results for other brands, such as Samsung and Sony, show at least two or three sponsored ads from rivals. At the time, Apple also asked Amazon to make its product pages clean, without any non-Apple product recommendations. By providing "accurate, relevant and qualitative content on Apple Product pages," Apple has been able to address much of the counterfeit issues on Amazon, the iPhone maker said.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Apple, Jeff Wilke, Kaziukenas, Amazon's, Wilke, Bose, it's, I'm, —, Bezos, Amazon Organizations: Amazon, Federal Trade Commission, Samsung Galaxy, Microsoft, Samsung, Apple, Sony, House, Committee, LG, Galaxy, FTC, Adidas

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, ”

☆ Where are the 12 US gov't funding bills to avert shutdown?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But first, the House and Senate would have to agree upon the overall dollar amount of spending for the 12 bills combined. The Senate passed its version as part of a three-bill package on Nov. 1 with strong bipartisan support. DEFENSEOne of the largest of the 12 bills funds the Department of Defense - the Army, Navy, Air Force and the CIA. The Senate's version passed out of committee on July 27. The Senate's version passed out of committee on July 27.

Persons: Jon Cherry, shutdowns, Joe Biden, Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Moira Warburton, Aurora Ellis Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Republican, Senate, of Veterans Affairs, Army, Navy, Air Force, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Housing, Urban, House Republicans, Amtrak, Department of Defense, CIA, Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory, of, of Indian Affairs, Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, The, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of State, Agency for International Development, Peace Corps, Congress, Capitol Police, of Congress, Office, Treasury, of Columbia, Federal Trade Commission, COMMERCE, of Commerce, U.S . Census, U.S . Patent, Department of Justice, Republicans, HUMAN, of Education, Department of Health, Human Services, Department of Labor, Social Security Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, New York, U.S, Washington

☆ Researchers find sensitive personal data of US military personnel is for sale online
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Sensitive personal information like the apparent home addresses and health conditions of thousands of active-duty US military personnel can be bought cheaply online from so-called data brokers, according to a study published Monday by Duke University researchers. The researchers could shop for data on servicemembers based on geolocation, including whether they lived or work near Fort Bragg, Quantico or other sensitive military locations. The Federal Trade Commission is currently considering new regulations to crack down on data brokers. “However, we have repeatedly raised concerns about the practices of data brokers and their potential impact on consumer privacy. The Pentagon and US intelligence community have long been concerned about how foreign spies might exploit the market for personal data on Americans.

Persons: Scammers, ”, Justin Sherman, ” Sherman, Ron Wyden, “, ” Wyden Organizations: CNN, Duke University, Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy, Social, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, Fair, Oregon Democrat, Department of Defense’s, Pentagon Locations: Fort Bragg, Quantico, Oregon, United States

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

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) punished its own sellers to limit Walmart's reach as Walmart got into e-commerce, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Like Amazon, Walmart operates a third-party online marketplace, with merchandise from thousands of independent sellers. This, Amazon realized, could result in sellers passing on those savings to customers, the FTC said. To hamstring Jet.com, Amazon removed some third-party sellers' offers from its Buy Box. Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle said the FTC "grossly mischaracterizes" the pricing tool and the company stopped using it several years ago.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, it's, Burt Flickinger, Jet.com, Tim Doyle, Siddharth Cavale, Vanessa O'Connell, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Amazon.com Inc, Walmart, Federal Trade Commission, Jet.com, Amazon, FTC, Jet, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, New York

☆ Amazon Executives Discussed How Its Policies Hurt Sellers, FTC Suit Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Dana Mattioli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Since Lina Khan became Federal Trade Commission chair in 2021, she’s taken on Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon, and that’s made her a lightning rod for controversy. WSJ breaks down the battles she’s picked and why she’s willing to lose. Photo illustration: Xingpei ShenAmazon .com executives discussed how its pricing policies had a “punitive aspect” on sellers, according to internal documents quoted in newly unredacted portions of the Federal Trade Commission’s monopoly lawsuit against the company. The commission also said Amazon knowingly raised the number of irrelevant ads on its website to boost profits and alleged that executives intentionally deleted internal messages to thwart the commission’s investigation of the company.

Persons: Lina Khan, she’s, that’s, Shen Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Meta, Microsoft, Federal Trade

Amazon flooded its search results with irrelevant "defect" ads at the direction of Founder Jeff Bezos, pumping Amazon profits while steering shoppers to higher-priced goods, the Federal Trade Commission alleged in a newly unredacted portion of its antitrust lawsuit against the company. Amazon began running ads on its site over a decade ago, allowing brands and sellers to bid for higher placement in search results to have their product stand out from competitors. Amazon in 2022 began breaking out advertising revenue in its quarterly earnings reports, revealing just how big the business has become. Last month, Amazon said its ad business brought in more than $12 billion in revenue in the third quarter. "Kantar, an independent data and insights firm, found Amazon's advertising to be the most useful and relevant to customers around the world."

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Bezos, David Zapolsky, Tim Doyle Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook Locations: U.S

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

☆ Amazon used an algorithm to secretly prompt rival sites to raise prices, FTC alleges in antitrust lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The FTC says Amazon used a tool to predict where it can raise prices and have rival sites follow suit. 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, Jeff Bezos Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Amazon, FTC, Service, Wall Street Journal, Nessie

☆ Amazon algorithm juiced prices, cost US consumers $1 billion new FTC lawsuit documents allege
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It has earned Amazon more than $1 billion from US households, newly unredacted portions of the suit allege. Public revelationsThe complaint’s newly unsealed portions, filed Thursday in Seattle federal court, uncover a wide range of previously non-public allegations. More than 70% of Amazon shoppers do not click past the first page of search results, according to the unsealed complaint. In another situation, Amazon allegedly took steps to promote its own, proprietary products — such as the Amazon Kindle tablet — as having been recommended by expert reviewers when the Amazon products had not earned such a recommendation. If the Amazon price went up, the competing retailers would increase their prices as well, according to the complaint.

Persons: Amazon’s, Jeff Bezos, Biden, ”, Tim Doyle, ” Doyle, “, Nessie, David Zapolsky Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Amazon, FTC, Amazon Prime Locations: Seattle, Bezos

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — After horse deaths marred this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and another occurred days ahead of the world championships, safety at the Breeders’ Cup is under intense scrutiny. “We know equine fatalities is a complicated issue and that’s why we’re continuing to invest in resources,” Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders' Cup Ltd., said Wednesday. Breeders’ Cup officials said his death was due to “a cardiac event.” A required necropsy will determine the official cause. With history in mind, 1/ST Racing is conducting periodic inspections and testing of all racing surfaces before the Breeders’ Cup. Dutrow saddles White Abarrio in the Classic, his first Breeders' Cup runner since he returned earlier this year from a 10-year ban for medication violations.

Persons: ” Drew Fleming, Arcangelo, Jena Antonucci, ”, isn’t, Mage didn’t, Ramiro Restrepo, “, Groom, Dionne Benson, “ We’ve, Lisa Lazarus, “ That's, Bob Baffert, Donald Trump, HISA, Antonucci, Rick Dutrow, he's, Derby, Baffert hasn't, Medina Spirit's, Baffert, ” Baffert Organizations: Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Breeders, Santa, Federal Trade Commission, Breeders ’, Belmont, Santa Anita, Triple Crown, Anita, Churchill Downs Inc, Breeders ', Associated Press Locations: ARCADIA, Calif, Kentucky, Santa Anita, California, Santa, Churchill, Belmont, U.S, HISA, Del Mar

☆ Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren want FTC to probe blockbuster Exxon, Chevron mergers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and nearly two dozen other Democrats are demanding federal regulators probe the mega takeovers inked last month by ExxonMobil and Chevron. Exxon, already America’s biggest oil company, reached a deal in October to buy rival Pioneer Natural Resources for $60 billion. In the letter, the Senate Democrats argue past mergers that helped create Exxon and Chevron “enabled anticompetitive coordination” that hurt consumers by limiting supply of oil. “The oil-and-gas industry is still dominated by a handful of corporate giants, led by the top-two players Exxon and Chevron. The Senate Democrats note that Pioneer owns more drilling acreage than any other Permian producer and Exxon is also a top producer there.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Hess, Schumer, Sens, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Exxon, White, Michael Kikukawa, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Federal Trade Commission, Oil, Exxon, Natural Resources, FTC, Democrats, CNN Locations: New York, Chevron, Warren

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and 22 other Democratic senators are urging federal regulators to investigate multibillion-dollar acquisitions by oil giants ExxonMobil and Chevron, saying the deals could lead to higher prices at the gas pump. “These deals are likely to harm competition, risking increased consumer prices and reduced output throughout the United States,'' the senators wrote. Chevron, Exxon and other oil companies have announced huge profits from strong energy prices and demand since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Exxon reported $9.1 billion in profits in the quarter that ended Sept. 30, while Chevron reported $6.5 billion in profits. Environmental groups hailed the call for an investigation of what some called “merger mania” within the oil industry that threatens competition.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Exxon's, Chevron’s, Minnesota Sen, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders, Chevron, Hess, Lukas Ross, ”, ” API's Bethany Williams, Schumer Organizations: WASHINGTON, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Federal Trade Commission, Natural Resources, Hess Corp, Exxon, FTC, Resources, Big Oil, American Petroleum Institute, Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation Locations: United States, Minnesota, Sens, Vermont, Ukraine, Texas, U.S, New York

☆ 'We are really keen to join forces with Seagen': Pfizer CEO on plans to acquire cancer drugmaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla discussed his company's plans to acquire cancer drugmaker Seagen in a Tuesday interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer. "We are really keen to join forces with Seagen," Bourla said. "We are going to kill cancer." The company plans to acquire Seagen in a $43 billion deal, and Bourla said he is "optimistic" it will close by year-end or early next year. Seagen is known for its antibody-drug conjugate treatments, which aim to kill only cancer cells, not healthy ones.

Persons: Albert Bourla, CNBC's Jim Cramer, Bourla Organizations: Pfizer, Federal Trade Commission, European Commission, CNBC Locations: U.S

Mr. Biden’s order will be issued days before a gathering of world leaders on A.I. regulation, the United States has trailed the European Union, which has been drafting new laws, and other nations, like China and Israel, that have issued proposals for regulations. Ever since ChatGPT, the A.I.-powered chatbot, exploded in popularity last year, lawmakers and global regulators have grappled with how artificial intelligence might alter jobs, spread disinformation and potentially develop its own kind of intelligence. “President Biden is rolling out the strongest set of actions any government in the world has ever taken on A.I. Vice President Kamala Harris is representing the United States at the conference in London on the topic this week.

Persons: Biden’s, Rishi Sunak, “, Biden, ”, Bruce Reed, Kamala Harris Organizations: United States, European Union, White House, Federal Trade Commission Locations: United, China, Israel, U.S, Ukraine, Gaza, United States, London

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon on Thursday reported strong revenue and profits from the summer months driven by growth in online sales and its advertising business. Amazon made $9.9 billion in profits, topping analysts' expectations and sending its stocks higher in after-hours trading. Amazon is also seeing strong customer demand across categories like beauty, health and personal care items, Olsavsky said. Meanwhile, Amazon's cloud competitors have delivered mixed results. Earlier this week, Microsoft reported strong revenue for its flagship cloud platform, Azure, while revenue from Google’s Cloud division fell below analysts’ expectations.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Brian Olsavsky, “, ” Olsavsky, Olsavsky, ”, Jassy, FactSet, Lina Khan Organizations: Amazon, Amazon's, Revenue, Web Services, AWS, Microsoft, Google’s, Federal Trade Commission, Big Tech Locations: San Francisco

☆ 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

☆ Credit card users paid $130 billion in fees, interest in 2022, federal watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Proposed changes are meant to fill gaps in the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, or CARD Act. The law imposed guardrails on credit card companies such as price controls on penalty fees and specific conditions in which they can be charged. However, there is no restriction on how much APR a company can charge nor language on late fees. How to minimize credit card fees, interestCardholders who carried a balance paid about 20% of their average statement balance in interest and fees last year, the CFPB found. WalletHub estimates that cardholders paid on average $76.27 in fees and interest per credit card account in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Persons: Biden, Schulz, it's, " Schulz, cardholders, Autopay, Matt Schulz, Sara Rathner Organizations: Consumers, Federal Trade Commission, Istock, Getty

☆ Meta sued by 42 attorneys general for addictive features targeting kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general is suing Meta over addictive features aimed at kids and teens, the AGs announced Tuesday. The support from so many state AGs of different political backgrounds indicates a significant legal challenge to Meta's business. Besides New York, the states that filed the federal suit include California, Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin. It's also not the first time a broad coalition of state AGs have teamed up to go after Meta. Meta was well aware of the negative effects its design could have on its young users, the AGs allege.

Persons: Letitia James, It's, Meta, James, –, Frances Haugen, Instagram, Haugen, Brian Schwalb, Schwalb, Andy Stone, We're, Joe Biden, Jim Cramer Organizations: AGs, Meta, Northern District of, New York, Federal Trade Commission, Facebook, Street, CNBC, State Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, New York, California , Colorado , Louisiana , Nebraska, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin, America

☆ FTC plans to hire child psychologist to guide internet rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Federal Trade Commission plans to hire at least one child psychologist who can guide its work on internet regulation, Democratic Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya told The Record in an interview published Monday. FTC Chair Lina Khan backs the plan, Bedoya told the outlet, adding that he hopes it can become a reality by next fall, though the commission does not yet have a firm timeline. Surgeon General issued an advisory in May that young people's social media use poses significant mental health risks. Bedoya told The Record that it's "absolutely part of that tradition of systematically expanding our expertise." "If someone is making an allegation about mental health harms, I have no full-time staff who are experts in the psychology of it."

Persons: Alvaro Bedoya, Lina Khan, Bedoya, Douglas Farrar, I've, Aspen Institute's Vivian Schiller Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Democratic, FTC, CNBC, ., U.S, Privacy, Technology, Georgetown University Law Center, Aspen Locations: Federal, U.S

☆ Some student-loan borrowers with private debt are being forced to make payments they don't owe, a federal watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The CFPB released a report analyzing complaints from private and federal student-loan borrowers. AdvertisementAdvertisementSome lenders might be discouraging private student-loan borrowers from receiving relief to which they're entitled. In that time period, 9,284 student-loan borrowers submitted complaints — 6,934 of which were related to federal loans and 2,350 of which were related to private loans. The current private student-loan portfolio in the US has about $132 billion in outstanding debt, which is 8% of the total outstanding student debt. As Insider previously reported, private student-loan borrowers are more vulnerable than federal borrowers because they do not have the same avenues for federal debt relief and repayment, and it's harder to regulate private lenders that can set their own terms.

Persons: —, Robert Cameron, Federal Trade Commission's, it's, Cameron Organizations: Service, Consumer, Federal Trade

Search resuls for: "The Federal Trade"

25 mentions found