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☆ FTC cracks down on DoNot Pay, others for 'deceptive AI claims and schemes'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced a crackdown on what the regulator called "deceptive AI claims and schemes" by three business opportunity ventures and two companies, including the legal services firm DoNotPay. "Using AI tools to trick, mislead, or defraud people is illegal," FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. "The FTC's enforcement actions make clear that there is no AI exemption from the laws on the book," Khan said. In a complaint, the FTC said that DoNotPay, which touted its AI service as "the world's first robot lawyer," failed to live up to that claim. "Since about 2023, Defendants' deceptive sales pitch has said their business model is powered by artificial intelligence ("AI")," the suit says.

Persons: Lina Khan, Khan, DoNotPay, William Basta, Kenneth Leung Organizations: Financial Services, General Government, Federal Trade Commission, Wednesday, FTC Locations: Rayburn, CapVentures, Los Angeles

☆ The biggest single-family home landlord in the US is poised to pay $48 million in settlement with FTC
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Invitation Homes is poised to pay over $48 million in a settlement with the FTC. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe country's largest single-family home rental company is poised to pay more than $48 million as part of a proposed settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that it deceived and overcharged consumers.

Persons: — Organizations: FTC, Service, Federal Trade Commission, Invitation, Business Locations: California

☆ FTC chair Lina Khan warns that airlines might one day use AI to find out you're attending a funeral and charge more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Jaures Yip | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewConsumers could end up paying the (personalized) price as AI becomes more popular, FTC Chair Lina Khan recently warned. Khan said that dynamic pricing, while a separate pricing strategy, may have helped price targeting become more prevalent as people become increasingly used to encountering it. Dynamic pricing itself has already proven controversial in some areas. Wendy's received major heat from customers after announcing plans to introduce dynamic pricing and AI-enabled menu changes as early as 2025. Later, the fast-food chain clarified that its dynamic pricing would not raise prices but rather only provide discounts.

Persons: —, Lina Khan, Khan, there's, we've, Wendy's, Kroger, Elizabeth Pancotti, Pancotti Organizations: Service, Innovation, Business, FTC, Microsoft, Walmart, Roosevelt Institute

☆ FTC chair Lina Khan explained how Americans lost their privacy protections to Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In a "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday, FTC Chair Lina Khan said allowing Big Tech to go through hundreds of acquisitions in the past several decades was a mistake that hurt Americans. An FTC spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. "After some of those firms were bought up by one of the big guys, all of those data privacy policies changed overnight, and so Americans lost those privacy protections." A WhatsApp spokesperson told BI at the time that the company disagreed with the decision and that the penalties were "entirely disproportionate." An FTC spokesperson told CNN in 2023 that, under Khan, the agency has investigated or sued to stop more than three dozen merger proposals.

Persons: —, Lina Khan, Khan, Mark Zuckerberg's, we're, WhatsApp, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Reid Hoffman, Khan's, Matt Gaetz, Newsmax Organizations: Service, Trade, Big Tech, Business, Facebook, FTC, YouTube, Democratic, Republican, CNN, Florida, Street Journal Locations: Washington ,

☆ Why that blackmailer claiming to have your search history probably doesn't
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Federal and state police across the country warned about a rise in the number of email "sextortion" scams this month. The Maryland State Police said in a statement on Thursday that reports of one sextortion scam targeting Gmail users surged in August and September. In these scams, someone tells a victim they have access to embarrassing search history or compromising photos. This means the scammers may have access to your email and even some of your current or former passwords, but they do not have access to your computer or search history. The Maryland State Police say to be cautious of any "unsolicited" emails you receive to your Gmail account to avoid being the victim of a scam.

Persons: —, bitcoin, They're, they've Organizations: Service, Maryland State Police, Business, FTC, Google Locations: Federal, Maryland

The Federal Trade Commission said Friday that it is suing three drug middlemen, accusing them of inflating insulin prices. PBMs work with insurance companies to negotiate discounted prices from drug companies in exchange for including the drugs in their coverage. The drug was priced at $274 in 2017, as a result of the PBMs rebate system strategy, the FTC said. In July, Democratic and Republican lawmakers blamed executives from Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx for sky-high prescription drug prices in the U.S. during an oversight committee hearing. The lawsuit also comes as states — most recently Vermont — have sued PBMs, alleging they drive up drug costs.

Persons: Cigna, Eli Lilly, Rahul Rao, It’s, Raja Krishnamoorthi, PBMs Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, CVS, Cigna's, Zinc Health, Ascent Health, Emisar Pharma Services, UnitedHealth, CVS Health, Novo Nordisk, Democratic, Republican, Caremark, New York Times, Republicans, ” Rep Locations: U.S, FTC’s, Vermont

☆ Up to $400 to change a lightbulb? Appliance repair costs are no joke
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Stephanie Dhue | Stephanie-Dhue | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

It sounds like the setup to a lightbulb joke: How much does it cost to change a microwave bulb? While my lightbulb situation may be somewhat unique, experts say it is not uncommon to learn the cost of repairs is more than the cost to replace an appliance. Figuring out the cost for a repairMy first call to repair our microwave was to the appliance store where I made the purchase. Several states — including California, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York — have implemented so-called "right to repair" laws. Some products designed 'with a hostility to repair'Consumer advocates say state laws and the FTC actions help, but haven't solved the problem.

Persons: Stephanie Dhue's, Stephanie Dhue, Gay Gordon, Byrne, Gordon, they're, Nathan Proctor, we've, Alex Reinauer, Proctor Organizations: GE, GE Appliances, U.S ., Getty Images, Federal Trade Commission, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Consumer, FTC Locations: California , Maine , Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Oregon, South Dakota, France

☆ FTC sues drug middlemen for allegedly inflating insulin prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Federal Trade Commission on Friday sued three large U.S. health companies that negotiate insulin prices, arguing the drug middlemen use practices that boost their profits while "artificially" inflating costs for patients. It comes three days after Express Scripts sued the FTC, demanding that the agency retract its allegedly "defamatory" July report that claimed that the PBM industry is hiking drug prices. It also alleges that PBMs favor those high-list-price insulins even when more affordable insulins with lower list prices become available. President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act has capped insulin prices for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 per month. The FTC said it remains "deeply troubled" by the role insulin manufacturers play in higher list prices, arguing that they inflate prices in response to PBMs' demands for higher rebates.

Persons: Lina Khan, UnitedHealth, drugmakers Eli Lilly, Caremark, PBMs, Rahul Rao, Rao, Joe Biden's, Biden, Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly's Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, CVS, Cigna's, FTC, Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, Express, Competition Locations: Rayburn, Washington ,, U.S, drugmakers, FTC's

☆ Pharmacy benefit managers respond to FTC's lawsuit over insulin drug prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailPharmacy benefit managers respond to FTC's lawsuit over insulin drug pricesCNBC's Eamon Javers joins 'The Exchange' to report the latest on the FTC's lawsuit against drug middlemen for allegedly inflating insulin prices.

Persons: Eamon Javers Organizations: Pharmacy

Users also “lacked any meaningful control over how personal information was used for AI-fueled systems” on the companies’ platforms, according to the report. The report includes staff recommendations calling for federal privacy legislation, as well as more efforts from companies to prioritize privacy in their data collection and recommendation systems. "Protecting users – especially children and teens – requires clear baseline protections that apply across the board," the FTC said in the report. The privacy of children and teens were not adequately protected on these social media platforms and streaming services, according to the report. However, children and teens are known to be on social media, and the FTC wrote that companies "should not ignore this reality."

Persons: Lina Khan, –, Twitch, Kate Sheerin, Sheerin Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Committee, Energy, Commerce, FTC, Amazon, Facebook, Meta, Twitter, YouTube, COPPA Locations: Canada

☆ GameStop CEO Cohen to pay $1 million fine over Wells Fargo stock buy
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen agreed to pay a nearly $1 million penalty to settle the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's claim that he failed to report acquisition of more than $100 million worth of Wells Fargo & Co voting shares, the agency said on Wednesday. Cohen failed to notify the agency as required when he amassed shares above the $100 million threshold in 2018, the agency said. He had not purchased the shares solely as an investor, but had given bank management input into how to run its business and sought a board seat, according to the FTC. He ultimately reported the transactions to the FTC in 2021. An attorney for Cohen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Ryan Cohen, Wells, Cohen Organizations: GameStop, U.S . Federal Trade Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo

☆ Tech M&A has been thwarted by regulators, but dealmakers skeptical that election will change much
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Amazon abandoned its $1.7 billion purchase of iRobot in January after the FTC and European regulators raised concerns. Since peaking at $1.5 trillion in 2021, tech transaction volume has plummeted, dropping to $544 billion last year, according to Dealogic. Before the company announced its $27 billion purchase of data analytics software company Splunk last September, he said he viewed the risk as absolutely worth taking. Alphabet's last big deal was its $5.4 billion purchase of cybersecurity company Mandiant in 2022. Microsoft closed its massive $75 billion purchase of Activision in October, but it took 20 months and a protracted fight with U.S. and European regulators.

Persons: Lina Khan, Jonathan Kanter, Khan, Joe Biden, Drew Angerer, Biden, Permira, Thoma, Sen, JD Vance, Donald Trump's, Barry Diller, Reid Hoffman, Kamala Harris, Andrew Luh, Gunderson Dettmer, Figma, Dana Rao, Rao, We've, they've, Juniper, Salesforce, Antonio Neri, Pau Barrena, Neri, Sergio Letelier, hasn't, Letelier, Marc Benioff, It's Benioff's, Slack, Benioff, Derek Idemoto, who's, Idemoto, that's, Splunk, HPE's Letelier, it's, Harris, Trump Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Justice, Brookings Institution, U.S, Senate, Getty, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Federal Trade Commission, iRobot, FTC, BlackRock, Thoma Bravo, KKR, Republican, CNBC, Democratic, Trump, Big Tech, Justice Department, DOJ, Apple, Meta, Adobe, European Commission, UK Competition, Markets Authority, Justice Department's Antitrust, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Mobile World Congress, MWC, AFP, Juniper, Markets, DOJ's Antitrust, European Union, EU, Software, Cisco, Activision, Foreign Investment, Regulators, Bloomberg, Tech Locations: Washington, Europe, Barcelona, Pau, Salesforce, United States

The deal, if approved, would put six fashion brands under a single company: Tapestry’s Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, with Capri’s Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors. Yet, in his remarks, Kors described how even legacy brands like his own can struggle and lose shoppers’ interest. Shares of Capri, which includes Michael Kors, reflect the tougher stretch that the designer Kors described. In its most-recent fiscal quarter that ended in late June, Michael Kors’ revenue dropped 14.2% on a reported basis or 13.3% on a constant currency basis compared to the year-ago period. Gennette, who retired early this year, said the department store’s sales got hit because it leaned too heavily on Michael Kors’ brand.

Persons: Michael Kors, Taylor Swift, Kors, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman, Capri’s Versace, Jimmy Choo, you’ll, we’ve, ”, Jeff Gennette, Michael Kors ’ Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Tapestry Locations: Manhattan, Capri

Lawyers for Washington state will have past grocery chain mergers – and their negative consequences – in mind when they go to court to block a proposed merger between Albertsons and Kroger. Albertsons and Kroger own more than 300 grocery stores in the state and control more than half of grocery sales there. They are trying to get the case dismissed, arguing a state court isn’t the proper venue to consider a nationwide ban. Albertsons and Kroger insist that their plan, including the sale of stores to C&S, will lower grocery prices and preserve competition. In 2016, Albertsons acquired a Haggen supermarket and then promptly closed an Albertsons store about a mile away in Birchwood.

Persons: general's, Haggen, ”, Tina McKim, Bob Ferguson, Kroger, Brad Weber, Locke, Judge Marshall Ferguson, Ferguson, Weber, McKim, ” McKim, “, She’s Organizations: Albertsons, Kroger, Federal Trade Commission, S Wholesale Grocers, Safeway, Fighters, Democrat, King County Superior Court, Walmart, Costco, U.S, FTC, Associated Press Locations: Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Bellingham , Washington, Washington —, Bellingham's Birchwood, King County, Seattle , Washington, Dallas, Birchwood

☆ In federal trial, Michael Kors says it's harder to sell handbags in TikTok and Taylor Swift era
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Designer Michael Kors poses backstage before the Michael Kors Collection Fall 2017 runway show at Spring Studios in New York City on Feb. 15, 2017. The deal, if approved, would put six fashion brands under a single company: Tapestry's Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, with Capri's Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors. Shares of Capri, which includes Michael Kors, reflect the tougher stretch that the designer Kors described. Gennette, who retired early this year, said the department store's sales got hit because it leaned too heavily on Michael Kors' brand. He said the markdown of Michael Kors' handbags contributed to "a bad spiral Macy's was living through when I was there."

Persons: Michael Kors, Taylor Swift, Kors, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman, Capri's Versace, Jimmy Choo, we've, Jeff Gennette Organizations: Spring Studios, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Tapestry Locations: New York City, Manhattan, Capri

☆ Harris can chart her own path with the top regulators — and Big Business hopes she's on their side
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Alice Tecotzky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Chris Larsen, the billionaire founder of blockchain payments company Ripple who is among the execs to endorse Harris, told Business Insider he wants her to make different appointments if she wins. "The way that they have already been interacting with business leaders is a compelling indication of where things could go in the future," Levie told Business Insider. Kovacic previously told Business Insider that Harris' relationship to economic progressives like Warren remains unclear. "It's not as though they think she will simply be an agent of Big Tech," he previously told Business Insider. "In the next four years, we'll be dealing with major policy subjects that relate to the next many decades of innovation," he told Business Insider.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, hamstrung, he'd, Sen, Elizabeth Warren of, Biden, Warren, Warren's, Lina Khan, Gary Gensler, Kamala Harris, Khan, William Kovacic, That's, Harris, Adam Kovacevich, Elizabeth Warren, Kovacevich, Kamala Harris doesn't, Politico, winced, Aaron Levie, Arati Prabhakar, Chris Larsen, Larsen, Catalini, Gensler, Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban, Levie, Kovacic, Obama, Douglas Farrar, we'll Organizations: Service, White, Democratic, Business, Federal Trade Commission, Securities, Exchange, George Washington University, of, Consumers Bank Association, Science, Technology, Bloomberg, MIT Cryptoeconomics, SEC, Dallas Mavericks, FTC, Democratic Party, Warren, Biden, Big Tech, Harris Locations: Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Biden's, Harris, California, Gensler

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Netflix, Tesla, Kroger, Arm, Oracle, Eli Lilly, PNC, GE Vernova & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Raymond James initiates Arm as outperform Raymond James said the semis company is well positioned for AI. Citi downgrades Capri Holdings to neutral from buy Citi said the risk/reward is more balanced for the owner of brands like Michael Kors. UBS reiterates Oracle as buy UBS raised its price target on the stock to $200 per share from $175. The feedback on Oracle's top-line growth was overall positive..." UBS reiterates PNC as buy UBS said the bank is a high conviction idea. " Citi resumes Eli Lilly as buy Citi resumed coverage of the stock and says it's well positioned.

Persons: Raymond James, Jefferies, SLG, CFRA, it's, datopotamab, Michael Kors, haven't, Morgan Stanley, EQT, Citi, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Tesla, BEV, Wells Organizations: Arm Holdings, ARM, Citi, Green, Kroger, Macquarie, Rio Tinto, Deutsche Bank, AstraZeneca, Deutsche, Capri Holdings, Barclays, Garmin, GM, BMO, GE, UBS, Oracle, Oracle's, PNC, JPMorgan, Netflix, JPMorgan downgrades Moderna, Nvidia, NVIDIA Locations: GenAI, New York, Rio, RIO, Las Vegas

☆ Three key questions that will shape whether Coach and Michael Kors owners will merge
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

In this article CPRITPR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTPedestrians walk past a Coach store and a Michael Kors store. One of the major debates in court has surrounded who are Coach and Michael Kors' true competitors. She said in her experience, Coach, Kate Spade and Michael Kors have never come up in customer surveys or company conversations about the competition. And he said it wouldn't need to worry as much, even if Michael Kors' brand continued to be challenged. "Once they come together, if Michael Kors continues to decline, some of that decline is going to benefit the Coach brand," he said.

Persons: Michael Kors, Scott Olson, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman, Capri's Versace, Jimmy Choo, Joanne Crevoiserat, Biden, LVMH, Louis Vuitton, Crevoiserat, she's, fanny, Chanel, Rebecca Minkoff, Suwon Yang, Saint Laurent, Hermes, Loren Smith, Smith, Kors, Capri Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Capri, FTC, CNBC, Capri's, Burberry, Tapestry, D.C Locations: New York City, Manhattan, Zara, Suwon, Italy, France, Washington, U.S

☆ Blank: Kroger's flat pricing reflects broader food trends, with food prices up 2.1% overall
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBlank: Kroger's flat pricing reflects broader food trends, with food prices up 2.1% overallJohn Blank, Chief Equity Strategist at Zacks Investment Research, discusses Kroger's flat performance and its merger with Albertsons to compete with Walmart. He notes the FTC's scrutiny and the partisan divide over the merger.

Persons: John Blank Organizations: Zacks Investment Research, Albertsons, Walmart

☆ Seven & i Holdings' shares slide 3% on likely U.S. probe into a potential M&A deal with Couche-Tard
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A 7-Eleven convenience store, operated by Seven & i Holdings Co., in Kawasaki, Japan, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. The FTC was concerned that the companies' defense attorneys were advising them to get rid of documents linked to the potential merger ahead of antitrust investigations, Reuters reported. In June, the FTC and the Justice Department launched antitrust investigations into Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia. Other recent antitrust investigations include cases against Amazon and Google. Seven & i revealed that Couche-Tard had offered to acquire all outstanding shares of Seven & i for $14.86 per share.

Persons: Canada's Alimentation, Tard, Tokutaka Ito, O Shearman, Ito, — CNBC's Lim Hui Jie Organizations: Seven, Holdings Co, Holdings, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Reuters, FTC, Justice Department, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Google, CNBC Locations: Kawasaki, Japan, Asia, .

☆ Tech and business leaders will be looking for 3 things during the Harris-Trump debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Alice Tecotzky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

And that really, for tech, is going to determine what matters," he told Business Insider. "That was a clear effort to court business and tech," Tusk said. "That was really eye-opening, because that is not usually thought of as a business issue, it's thought of as a social issue," Snyder told Business Insider. But business and tech leaders will be looking at more than just policy on Tuesday night. AdvertisementLarsen believes that Harris may be able to provide the country with the reset that he and other business leaders are looking for.

Persons: —, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, Joe Biden, Chris Larsen, Biden, Larsen, Bradley Tusk, Gary Gensler, Jordan Nof, Tusk, Gary Gensler's, Kieran Snyder, Snyder, Lina Khan, she's, Nof, Trump, Mark Cuban, Aaron Levie, Roe, it's Organizations: Service, Democratic National Convention, Business, Industry, Venture Partners, Democratic, Securities and Exchange Commission, Tusk Venture, SEC, Silicon, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Wall Street Journal Locations: California, Silicon, U.S, China

☆ An ex-Mastercard executive was nearly scammed of $100,000. Here's how she spotted it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-07 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former Mastercard executive told Business Insider she nearly lost $100,000 to an account takeover scam last year. The fraudsters used information found in emails about Woneis's transactions to impersonate the title company for her home. The fake title company then emailed Woneis, asking for an "accelerated" payment. "They sent me wire instructions that perfectly mimicked the wire instructions from the title company. "We could have potentially been caught in wire fraud."

Persons: —, Catherine Woneis, Woneis, Scammers, it's Organizations: Service, Mastercard, MasterCard, Business

☆ Google's second antitrust trial could help shape the future of online ads
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Jennifer Elias | Jennifer Covers Google Parent Company Alphabet Inc. | Silicon Valley Culture For Cnbc.Com In San Francisco. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

For Google, the focus turns to its ad tools, which are part of the company’s $200 billion digital ad business. In the first antitrust case, the court found that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which outlaws monopolies. The company’s M&A strategy “set the stage for Google’s later exclusionary conduct across the ad tech industry,” the Justice Department alleges. Google has long fought back against claims that it dominates online ads, pointing to the market share of competitors including Meta. It will argue that buyers and sellers have many options especially as the online ad market has evolved.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Meta, Sherman, Goldman, Bernstein, Amit Mehta, ” Mehta, Google’s, Neal Mohan, Mohan, it’s, AdMeld, Jerry Dischler, It’s, Sissie Hsiao, Scott Sheffer, Prabhakar Raghavan, Simon Whitcombe Organizations: Department of Justice, Google, Microsoft, Big Tech, DOJ, Apple, Federal Trade Commission, Facebook, Amazon, Citibank, NYSE, New York Stock Exchange, YouTube, Google Network, U.S, District of Columbia, Department, DoubleClick, Meta, Stanford, Harvard, New York Times Locations: Alexandria , Virginia, California , Colorado , Connecticut , New Jersey , New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee, Google’s

☆ A popular website that connects caregivers with people in need deceived its users of millions of dollars, the FTC says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-28 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The website, which connects people with babysitters, senior care workers, or housesitters, used "inflated job numbers and baseless earnings claims" to deceive both customers and workers, the FTC said in a statement. AdvertisementTo communicate with a caregiver on Care, both job posters and job seekers must create an account on the website with an auto-renewed subscription, according to the release. AdvertisementCare said in the statement that the renewing subscriptions users have to buy are actually an annual "screening fee."

Persons: —, Samuel Levine, Care.com, Care Organizations: Service, Federal Trade Commission, Business, of Consumer, Forbes, FTC, Care Locations: United States

☆ Care.com reaches $8.5 million FTC settlement over job listings, renewals
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It followed tens of thousands of complaints from Care.com customers, including many who thought they canceled memberships but were billed again. The FTC said Care.com enticed customers to buy auto-renewing memberships by overstating the number of jobs, or "gigs," on its platform and how much people could earn from them. It said Care.com knew or should have known a significant number of the jobs were unlikely to result in employment. About 2.9 million U.S. consumers bought Care.com auto-renewing memberships between January 2019 and March 2022. "Care.com used inflated job numbers and baseless earnings claims to lure caregivers onto its platform, and used deceptive design practices to trap consumers in subscriptions," FTC consumer protection chief Samuel Levine said.

Persons: Care.com, Samuel Levine Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, IAC Inc, FTC, Austin Locations: Care.com, Waltham , Massachusetts, Austin , Texas

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