News Releases for March 2005
March 31, 2005
- For Release: March 30, 2005
FTC Chairman Appoints Parnes Consumer Protection Director
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras has appointed Lydia B. Parnes to be Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP).
- For Release: March 30, 2005
Diet Patch Sellers Settle Can-Spam Charges
Operators Marketed Products Via Illegal E-mail Messages
March 30, 2005
- For Release: March 30, 2005
Debt Services Operations Settle FTC Charges
Three operations that scammed consumers out of more than one hundred million dollars by falsely promising easy debt relief have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that their business practices were illegal.
March 29, 2005
- For Your Information: March 29, 2005
Announced Actions for March 29, 2005
The Commission has received a petition to reopen and modify the final decision and order in the 2003 transaction concerning Nestlé Holdings Inc., File No. 021-0174, Docket No. C-4082, at http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0210174.htm, regarding Nestlé’s acquisition of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc. The Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order in the matter concerning Cemex, S.A. de C.V. and RMC Group PLC, and the issuance of a letter to the commenter of record.
March 28, 2005
- For Release: March 28, 2005
Colorado Mortgage Broker Barred from Making Deceptive Claims
A federal district court has barred a Colorado-based mortgage broker from making false claims about home mortgage financing services and ordered him to pay consumer redress following Federal Trade Commission charges that he violated federal laws.
March 25, 2005
- Media Advisory : March 25, 2005
Press conference
Press conference to announce three law enforcement actions targeting deceptive and misleading debt-related services. The FTC charged that the operations scammed consumers out of more than
$100 million.
March 24, 2005
- For Release: March 24, 2005
FTC, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to Sponsor Advertising Law Workshop
Green Lights & Red Flags: FTC Rules of the Road for Advertisers
March 22, 2005
- For Your Information: March 22, 2005
Announced Action for March 22, 2005
Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (Magellan) has filed a petition withdrawing its request that the Commission approve the proposed divestiture of certain assets recently acquired from Shell Oil Company (Shell).
March 21, 2005
- For Release: March 21, 2005
FTC Settles with AmeriDebt: Company to Shut Down
AmeriDebt, Inc. will shut down its debt management operation as part of a settlement of Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers into paying at least $170 million in hidden fees.
March 15, 2005
- For Release: March 15, 2005
Federal Trade Commission Staff Supports U.S. Mint’s Efforts To Curb Deceptive Ads for Collectible Coins
FTC Staff Submits Comments to Assist Mint in Implementing Proposed Civil Penalty Rule
- For Release: March 15, 2005
FTC Testifies on Protecting Consumers’ Data
The Federal Trade Commission testified today before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection that “recent security breaches have raised questions about whether sensitive consumer information collected by data brokers may be falling into the wrong hands leading to increased identity theft and other frauds.”
March 14, 2005
- For Your Information: March 14, 2005
In Letter to Virginia State Delegate, FTC Staff Supports Continued Competition in the Provision of Optometric Care to State’s Consumers
Comment Addresses Three Bills Currently Pending in State Legislature
March 11, 2005
- For Release: March 11, 2005
FTC Bars Bogus Anti-Spyware Claims
Free Scans Detected Spyware That Wasn’t There; Software to Remove All Spyware Didn’t
- For Your Information: March 11, 2005
Announced Action for March 11, 2005
The Commission has approved the publication of a Federal Register notice seeking public comment on proposed disclosure requirements for depository institutions that do not have federal deposit insurance.
- For Release: March 11, 2005 Corrected 3/17/05
The Rebate Debate: Why Were They Late?
FTC Settles Charges Against CompUSA
Action Is First Challenging a Retailer’s Promises for Third-Party Rebates
- For Your Information: March 11, 2005
Federal Trade Commission Staff Cites Opposition to North Dakota PBM Bill
HB 1332 Likely to Limit PBM’s Ability to Reduce the Cost of Prescription Drugs
- For Release: March 11, 2005
Blockbuster to Comply with FTC’s Premerger Rules
Court Order Extends HSR Waiting Period
March 10, 2005
- For Release: March 10, 2005
FTC Testifies on Data Security and Identity Theft
The Federal Trade Commission testified today before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs about the reach of existing federal laws that require certain information providers to safeguard sensitive information and to ensure that the information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
- For Release: March 10, 2005
International Consumer Protection Group Meets in Scotland To Address Cross-Border Fraud Developments
FTC Also Announces 2004 Cross-Border Fraud Statistics
- For Release: March 10, 2005
Internet Service Provider Settles FTC Privacy Charges
Company Disclosed Personal Information of Nearly One Million Consumers
March 8, 2005
- For Release: March 8, 2005
FTC to Host OECD Workshop on Dispute Resolution and Consumer Redress
On April 19-20, 2005, the Federal Trade Commission will host a workshop to examine approaches to consumer dispute resolution and redress around the world.
- For Your Information: March 8, 2005
Announced Actions for March 8, 2005
The Commission has received a petition to reopen and set aside an existing consent order from Entergy-Koch, LLC (EKLP), in connection with FTC Docket No. C-3998. Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved a final consent order in the matter concerning Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., and approved letters to the commenters of record.
- For Release: March 8, 2005
FTC Releases Radio Frequency Identification Workshop Report
The staff of the Federal Trade Commission today released a report summarizing the issues and drawing some conclusions from its June 2004 workshop, “Radio Frequency Identification: Applications and Implications for Consumers.”
March 7, 2005
- For Release: March 7, 2005
FTC Releases Staff Report on Spyware Workshop
The Federal Trade Commission today released a staff report summarizing the issues and drawing some conclusions from its April 2004 workshop, “Monitoring Software on Your PC: Spyware, Adware, and Other Software.”
March 4, 2005
- For Release: March 4, 2005
FTC Seeks Court Order to Force Blockbuster to Comply with Premerger Rules
The Federal Trade Commission today filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, pursuant to Section 7A(g)(2) of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18a(g)(2), to require Blockbuster, Inc. to comply with the statutory rules of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR).
- For Release: March 4, 2005
Mortgage Company Settles FTC Charges
Consumers’ Financial Information at Risk by Lack of Required Security Practices
March 2, 2005
- For Release: March 2, 2005
Canadian Defendants Charged with Bilking U.S. Consumers in Nationwide Business Directory Scam
The Federal Trade Commission has charged several Canadian-based companies and their principals with targeting United States consumers in a scheme to trick them into paying for unordered business directories and listings in the directories.
- For Release: March 2, 2005
FTC, Industry Group Sponsor Advertising Law Workshop in Chicago
Green Lights & Red Flags: FTC Rules of the Road for Advertisers
- For Release: March 2, 2005
South Carolina Doctors’ Group Barred from Fixing Prices
Group’s Physician Members Make Up 70 Percent of Doctors Near Seneca, SC
March 1 , 2005
- For Release: March 1, 2005
“The Enforma System” Infomercial Producers Settle FTC Charges
FTC Alleged the Defendants Were Instrumental in Developing Deceptive Enforma Ads
- For Your Information: March 1, 2005
Announced Action for March 1, 2005
The Commission has issued its annual report to the Federal Reserve Board on FTC enforcement actions in 2004 related to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Consumer Leasing Act (CLA), Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), and Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA).
- For Release: March 1, 2005
Protecting Competition, FTC Clears Cytec’s $1.8 Billion Acquisition of UCB S.A.’s Surface Specialties Division
Consent Order Requires Cytec to Divest UCB’s Amino Resins Business Within Six Month