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FTC Unveils New Compulsory Processes in Eight Key Enforcement Areas

  • The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued resolutions to increase the efficiency of FTC investigations into competition or consumer protection violations under the FTC Act in eight priority enforcement areas.
  • The resolutions direct the use of all available compulsory processes—such as civil investigative demands and subpoenas—to investigate potential FTC Act violations in the following enforcement areas: (1) acts or practices affecting U.S. Armed Forces service members and veterans; (2) acts or practices affecting children; (3) bias in algorithms and biometrics; (4) deceptive and manipulative conduct on the internet; (5) repair restrictions; (6) abuse of intellectual property; (7) common directors and officers and common ownership; and (8) monopolization offenses.
  • The Acting Directors of the Bureau of Competition and the Bureau of Consumer Protection stated their intention to use these resolutions aggressively to combat harmful practices, particularly those targeting children, veterans, and marginalized communities.
  • Following an earlier announcement on other priority enforcement areas in July 2021, this is the second time since Lina Khan has become Chairwoman of the FTC that the agency has announced several such resolutions at once.