On October 11, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed rule to prohibit so-called junk fees, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an advisory opinion to large banks and credit unions...more
10/17/2023
/ Advisory Opinions ,
AMG Capital Management LLC v FTC ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Excessive Fees ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
FTC Act ,
Hidden Fees ,
Proposed Rules ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Reports of social media scams that have caused users to lose money had tripled by the end of 2020’s second quarter, resulting in the loss of $117 million during the first two quarters of this year alone. Romance scams and...more
The 1914 Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA) created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or “the Commission”) and empowered it to prevent, and provide redress to consumers affected by, unfair methods of competition and unfair...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) appears to be using its ongoing review of current rules and guides to revisit its approach to driving home the message that the relationship between a social media “influencer” and the brand...more
The Federal Trade Commission is trying yet another approach to convey the message that the relationship between a social media “influencer” and the brand he or she is endorsing must be disclosed. This new guidance from FTC...more
We start this issue with a feeling of déjà vu all over again. Decisions made during the mortgage crisis are back in the news with a powerhouse legal ruling and the Treasury’s initial thinking on how to turn back time. First,...more
9/12/2019
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration ,
BSA/AML ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collection ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Fair Lending ,
FDIC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
GAO ,
HUD ,
Libor ,
Money Laundering ,
No-Action Letters ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Secured Overnight Funding Rate (SOFR) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
SHIELD Act ,
TCPA ,
Volcker Rule
Most companies are familiar with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and its requirement to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information online from children under 13. Yet COPPA also...more
In the last few years, as advertising has followed consumers from legacy media such as television to online video and social media platforms, the Federal Trade Commission has been attempting to ensure that participants in...more
With much fanfare, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) continues to take actions relating to so-called “social media influencers” who allegedly fail to disclose material connections to the products or brands they endorse....more
Welcome to the newest edition of Socially Aware, our Burton Awardwinning guide to the law and business of social media.
In this edition, we explore the threat to U.S. jobs posed by rapid advances in emerging technologies;...more
4/21/2017
/ Communications Decency Act ,
Copyright ,
Cross-Device ,
DMCA ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Google ,
Mobile Apps ,
Safe Harbors ,
Snapchat ,
Stored Communications Act ,
Technology Sector ,
Tracking Systems ,
Trump Administration ,
WhatsApp
EDITOR’S NOTE -
In like a lion, out like a lamb—it works for weather; does it work for new administrations? We’ll have to wait and see. We’ll have to wait and see about the length of CFPB Director Richard Cordray’s...more
3/20/2017
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Bank Fraud ,
Bank Holding Company Act ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Data Security ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Forfeiture ,
NIST ,
OCC ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Opt-In ,
Overdraft Fees ,
Preemption ,
Shaw v United States ,
Student Loans ,
TCPA ,
TLAC ,
True Lender
Well over a year after holding a workshop addressing privacy issues associated with cross-device tracking, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff have issued a report. The report sets the stage by describing how cross-device...more
EDITOR’S NOTE -
Hope you survived all of those awkward Thanksgiving holiday conversations— amazing how divided people are on whether the court got it right in the PHH case, isn’t it? So on we go into the holiday season,...more
12/7/2016
/ Arbitration ,
Article III ,
Blockchain ,
CalOPPA ,
Consent Order ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Credit Card Surcharges ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Distributed Denial of Service ,
ECOA ,
FDCPA ,
Federal Reserve ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
HMDA ,
HUD ,
LGBTQ ,
Military Lending Act ,
NYDFS ,
OCC ,
OIG ,
Prepaid Payment Products ,
Risk Management ,
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) ,
Spokeo v Robins ,
Truth in Lending Act (TILA)
The Federal Trade Commission’s recent workshop on drones raised familiar issues related to the privacy implications of a new and evolving technology. While the many potential innovations and consumer benefits of drone...more
Editor’s Note -
So much for summer! The weather is cooling, the kids are back to school, and we better not see you wearing white so long after Labor Day! For those of you having a little trouble getting back in the...more
9/21/2016
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Arbitration ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collection ,
Digital Currency ,
EU ,
EU-US Privacy Shield ,
Fair Lending ,
FDIC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinCEN ,
Foreclosure ,
Homeowner Bill of Rights ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Municipalities ,
OCC ,
Online Banking ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Standing ,
Tax Revenues ,
TCPA ,
Telemarketing ,
Volcker Rule
Recent enforcement decisions within the digital advertising industry indicate a shift in—and a clarification of—the required disclosures for companies engaged in interest-based advertising (IBA).
In particular, these...more
Mixed Messages: Courts Grapple With Emoticons and Emoji -
Emoticon and emoji are ubiquitous in online and mobile communications; according to one study, 74 percent of Americans use emoticons, emoji and similar images...more
BELTWAY -
Every Last Penny Counts -
Five federal banking agencies issued a Supervisory Bulletin titled “Interagency Guidance Regarding Deposit Reconciliation Practices” (the “Guidance”). The Guidance outlines...more
6/8/2016
/ Arbitration ,
Article III ,
CID ,
Civil Investigation Demand ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Comptroller ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit ,
Customer Due Diligence (CDD) ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Debt Collection ,
ECOA ,
FDCPA ,
Federal Reserve ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FFIEC ,
FHFA ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
FinTech ,
Hawkins v Community Bank of Raymore ,
Mobile Banking ,
Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) ,
Online Marketplace Lending ,
Payday Loans ,
Payment Protection Insurance ,
PCI-DSS Standard ,
Preemption ,
RESPA ,
SCOTUS ,
Spokeo v Robins ,
Standing ,
Student Loans ,
TCPA ,
TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID) ,
Truth in Lending Act (TILA) ,
UDAAP ,
Virtual Currency ,
Volcker Rule
Social media is all about innovation, so it is no surprise that social media marketers are always looking for innovative ways—such as courting social media “influencers” and using native advertising—to promote products and...more
5/5/2016
/ Advertising ,
Compliance ,
Endorsements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Marketing ,
Native Advertising ,
Popular ,
Section 5 ,
Social Media
Welcome to the newest issue of Socially Aware, our Burton Award winning guide to the law and business of social media. In this edition, we offer tips for a successful—and legal—advertising campaign; we examine a New York...more
3/9/2016
/ Advertising ,
B2C ,
Big Data ,
Digital Goods ,
Discovery ,
Discovery Rule ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Internet Retailers ,
Marketing ,
Mobile Apps ,
Native Advertising ,
Social Media ,
Terms and Conditions ,
User-Generated Content
Why another law firm newsletter? Over ten years ago, Will Stern answered that question in the first Editor’s Note of the first Financial Services Report. Some things have changed since then—we no longer print and mail paper...more
3/9/2016
/ Arbitration ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Cards ,
Customer Lists ,
Cybersecurity ,
Debt Collection ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU-US Privacy Shield ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Fair Lending ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
HMDA ,
Mortgages ,
OCC ,
Payday Loans ,
Preemption ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
TCPA ,
Truth in Lending Act (TILA)
Three Steps To Help Ensure The Enforceability Of Your Website’s Terms Of Use -
Operators of social media platforms and other websites typically manage their risks by imposing terms of use or terms of service for the...more
1/29/2016
/ Barnes and Noble ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enforceability ,
Facebook ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Harassment ,
Instagram ,
Microsoft ,
Online Contracts ,
Reddit ,
Search Warrant ,
Section 5 ,
State Data Breach Notification Statutes ,
Terms of Use ,
Twitter ,
UK ,
Vlog ,
Websites ,
Young Lawyers
“Native advertising”—ads that may blur the distinction between advertising and editorial, video or other content—has been a hot topic in recent years for both marketers and regulators. It is popular with marketers because it...more
Cross-device tracking is a hot new issue for regulators. Companies engaged in the practice should take note of two recent developments. On November 16, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a workshop on the issue...more
Welcome to the newest issue of Socially Aware, our Burton Award winning guide to the law and business of social media. In this edition, we present a “grand unifying theory” of today’s leading technologies and the legal...more
7/29/2015
/ Advertising ,
Consumer Bankruptcy ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Creditors ,
Data Collection ,
Data Storage Providers ,
Digital Assets ,
Discovery ,
Electronically Stored Information ,
Evidence ,
Facebook ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hashtags ,
HBO ,
Live Streaming ,
Marketing ,
Online Reviews ,
Retail Tracking ,
Sanctions ,
Showtime ,
Social Media ,
Spoliation ,
Trademarks ,
Twitter ,
Yelp