Stories related to: FTC

Bear Stearns has been warned it could face civil charges stemming from an SEC probe into its anti-competitive bidding for municipal bonds, the Wall Street Journal reports. The firm is also being investigated by the FTC for alleged violations of consumer protection laws involving its mortgage-servicing unit. Bear Stearns officials said the company is co-operating with both agencies and the Department of Justice. More »

Google is working to ease concerns about privacy infringement in online advertising, ComputerWorld reports. The online giant hosted a meeting for the Consumer Privacy Legislative Forum, a group working to get a bill protecting online consumers’ information passed in Congress. Google will also file comments concerning the FTC’s proposed privacy regulations, which advocate transparency in the collection of user’s personal info. More »

Homeowners whose lenders have been caught by the subprime mortgage debacle may face increased risks of becoming victims of identity theft, reports MSNBC. Borrowers at some mortgage companies that have gone out of business are finding that their confidential records—income statements, credit cards and social security numbers—get tossed in unlocked dumpsters, prime hunting grounds for dumpster-diving thieves. More »

The FTC voted 4-1 to approve Google’s purchase of DoubleClick, despite months of lobbying against the deal on privacy and antitrust grounds. The commissioners concluded that the deal "is unlikely to substantially lessen competition,” PC World reports. The $3.1-billion deal has been fought tooth and nail by Microsoft and other competitors since the search-ads leader revealed its agreement to buy the display-ads leader in April. More »

Consumer and privacy advocates have proposed a voluntary online “Do Not Track” list that would bar companies from monitoring web traffic for the purpose of targeting ads. Modeled on the popular “Do Not Call” list, which blocks phone telemarketers, the new proposal wouldn’t outlaw ads altogether, the Post and Times report, but would disallow the use of behavioral data. More »

If you're one of the millions who registered with the federal Do Not Call list in 2003, expect your phone to start ringing during dinner again soon, Time reports. That's because the FTC made the popular list good for only five years. After that, you have to re-up by visiting donotcallist.gov or calling 888-382-1222. More »

A federal court issued a temporary injunction yesterday preventing Whole Foods from buying Wild Oats—at least today. The three-judge panel wants extra time to consider the FTC's argument that combining the nation's two largest organic food retailers would destroy competition. The companies will file additional briefs by tomorrow, and the FTC will have a day to rebut. More »

While investigating Whole Foods Market's proposed takeover of competitor Wild Oats, the FTC accidentally released dozens of Whole Foods' trade secrets. The commission filed documents electronically without realizing that redacted portions were actually legible, just shaded. Among the secrets: how Whole Foods negotiates with suppliers to drive up prices at Wal-Mart. More »

The FTC dealt out 44 subpoenas yesterday to food companies, including McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Kraft, seeking information on how much they spent on advertising to kids. The businesses have until November 1 to comply for a report the FTC is preparing for Congress on marketing practices and child obesity. More »

The CEO of Whole Foods apologized yesterday for boosting his company and posting snide comments about a rival supermarket chain in Internet forums and said he "had fun doing it." John Mackey's actions over the last 8 years have already triggered an SEC investigation, and the company's board said yesterday it will launch its probe, the Wall Street Journal reports. More »

The founder of Whole Foods secretly posted messages on a Yahoo stock investors forum—boosting his own company and damning competitor Wild Oats, the Wall Street Journal reports. Now, as CEO John Mackey tries to buy the company he trash-talked, the posts that ran for eight years have come back to haunt him. More »

Even crunchy granola types may be monopolists at heart—at least according to the Federal Trade Commission.The FTC said yesterday it wants to block Whole Foods’ $670 million purchase of Wild Oats Markets, claiming that the sale will result in even higher-than-usual prices at the natural foods stores. More »

The FTC has initiated an antitrust probe into search behemoth Google's $3.1 billion acquisition of a major online ad company, sources tell the New York Times. Both competitors and privacy advocates are chafing at the proposed deal between Google, which stores users' search histories, and DoubleClick, which keeps track of their web use. More »