The Federal Trade Commission (FTC or the Commission) had a busy December. While many of us were winding down for the holidays, the FTC finalized a new rule, requested comments on a new proposed rule and extended the comment deadline for another high-profile proposed rulemaking.
As explained in an earlier update, notice of proposed rulemaking on “junk fees” would, if adopted, require practically all businesses to change the way they disclose the prices of goods and services they sell to provide more transparency to consumers. The effect of the proposed rule on the nation’s economy would likely be vast. To date, the Commission has already received nearly 2,800 comments on the proposal. In order to allow all interested stakeholders to weigh in, the FTC extended the comment period by 30 days. Comments are now due by February 7, 2024.
On the privacy front, the Commission released a notice of proposed rulemaking that would significantly amend the Children’s Online Privacy Protection (COPPA) Act for the first time in a decade. If adopted, the proposed amendments would place new restrictions on the use and disclosure of children’s personal information, especially as related to digital services. We discuss the proposed amendments in more detail here.
Also in December, the FTC finalized its Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Rule meant to protect consumers from scams and “junk fees” related to purchasing and leasing automotive vehicles. The CARS Rule will become effective on July 30, 2024. As the rule has now been finalized, it has been removed from the tracker.
To view the previous FTC Regulation Tracker updates, please see below:
FTC Regulation Tracker—November 2023
FTC Regulation Tracker—October 2023
FTC Regulation Tracker—August 2023
FTC Regulation Tracker—July 2023
FTC Regulation Tracker—June 2023
FTC Regulation Tracker—May 2023
FTC Regulation Tracker—April 2023