Federal Trade Commission
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US Congressman unveils legislation to protect digital games ownership
U.S. Congressman Ritchie Torres has introduced the "Power to the Players Act," a bill aimed at protecting digital game ownership rights. The legislation would direct the Federal Trade Commission to create regulations ensuring that purchased games are truly owned, not just licensed, and would require offline modes for online games.
US lawmaker calls videogame purchases rentals disguised as sales: 'When you pay for a game, you should own it'
US Representative Ritchie Torres is introducing the "Power To The Players Act" to protect consumers' ability to own purchased video games. The bill aims to have the Federal Trade Commission create regulations ensuring that players truly own games, not just licenses that can be revoked. This initiative addresses concerns about digital distribution, game decommissioning, and the shift away from physical media, exemplified by issues with titles like The Crew.
€100 million Fortnite lawsuit claims Epic put "pressure" on minors to spend real money: "Young consumers are supposed to be protected from exactly that"
A Dutch consumer group, Stichting Massaschade & Consument, is suing Epic Games for €100 million over allegations that Fortnite's in-game store pressures minors into spending real money and collects data without consent. The lawsuit seeks refunds and damages, citing research indicating that young buyers often regret purchases made under time pressure. This follows previous fines and settlements against Epic for similar practices.
Nvidia is reportedly being investigated by the DOJ over its biggest ever deal, a $20 billion non-exclusive agreement…
The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Nvidia's $20 billion non-exclusive agreement with AI chip company Groq for potential antitrust scrutiny. The deal, which grants Nvidia non-exclusive rights to Groq's low-latency inference AI chips, is being examined to see if it was structured to bypass standard government reviews. If found at fault, Nvidia could face fines, though the investigation is ongoing and no specific findings have been made.
Amazon is sued by the FTC and 22 states for 'secretly' overcharging advertisers since 2019
Amazon is facing a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission and 22 states, who allege the company has been secretly overcharging advertisers since 2019. The lawsuit claims this deceptive practice continues to this day.
Zillow settles antitrust lawsuit with the FTC
Zillow has reached a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission. The terms of the settlement were not immediately disclosed, but the case involved allegations of anti-competitive practices.
Saudi Arabia's takeover of EA gets approval from European Commission
The European Commission has approved Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund's proposed $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts, stating it will not raise competition concerns within the EU. While this hurdle is cleared, the deal still faces scrutiny from US lawmakers and developers concerned about the takeover's implications.
EU Commission approves $55bn EA buyout, says it "would not raise competition concerns"
The European Commission has approved the $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, stating it would not raise competition concerns. The deal, which includes Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, was reviewed under the EU Merger Regulation and found to have a limited impact on the markets where the companies are active. This approval follows concerns raised by US lawmakers and labor unions regarding potential labor market impacts and foreign investment.
Mamdani announces new Click-to-Cancel rule for New York City
A new Click-to-Cancel rule has been announced for New York City, reviving a proposed consumer protection measure previously abandoned by the Federal Trade Commission last year. This rule aims to simplify the process for consumers to cancel subscriptions and services.
FTC reaches settlement that brings right-to-repair to John Deere farm equipment
The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with John Deere that will bring right-to-repair protections to the company's farm equipment. The FTC had previously sued the tractor manufacturer.
Evening Legal Briefs
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in the ongoing legal dispute between Apple and Epic Games. Separately, the Federal Trade Commission has fined Amazon $2.25 million for alleged violations of the Fair...
Midday Safety Dance
The US Federal Trade Commission has been urged to investigate Roblox concerning allegations of inadequate child safety measures and aggressive in-game spending practices. The BBC reported on the watchdog's potential involvement.
The FTC says Americans lost at least $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025
Americans lost at least $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025, an eightfold increase since 2020, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Investment and shopping scams were prevalent, with Facebook being the primary platform, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram. The FBI also reported significant losses to internet-related crimes, including cryptocurrency and AI scams.
AI company deletes the 3 million OKCupid photos it used for facial recognition training
AI company Clarifai has deleted 3 million OkCupid profile photos from 2014 used for facial recognition training, following a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC investigated Clarifai after reports that the company violated OkCupid's privacy policy by using the photos without consent. Clarifai has certified the data deletion and confirmed no models trained on the data were shared with third parties.
Federal jury finds concert business Live Nation is a monopoly
A federal jury has determined that Live Nation, which operates the Ticketmaster platform, is a monopoly and has violated antitrust rules. The ruling's practical implications, including potential remedies like the sale of Ticketmaster and monetary damages, are still to be determined by the judge. The Department of Justice and state attorneys general had sued Live Nation on monopoly claims, with a separate case also being waged by the Federal Trade Commission.
NZXT Pays $3.45M Settlement Over Rental PC Scam Allegations
NZXT has agreed to a $3.45 million settlement over allegations concerning its rental PC program, which has been criticized for potentially predatory practices. Independent reviews, particularly from Gamers Nexus, brought attention to the issue, highlighting concerns about the long-term cost and transparency of such rental schemes. This settlement serves as a warning to the hardware industry regarding consumer protection and corporate accountability.
Adult games may be an unintended beneficiary as FTC pressure payment providers like Visa and Mastercard not to debank Trump supporters, but I doubt it
The US Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to major payment providers like Visa and Mastercard, urging them not to deny services based on political or religious views. This action, intended to prevent discrimination against Trump supporters, could inadvertently benefit the adult games industry by discouraging payment processors from bowing to pressure that previously led to content delistings on platforms like Itch.io and Valve.
The video game payment processor crisis may be getting better, thanks to the American Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued warnings to payment processors like Mastercard, Visa, Stripe, and PayPal, stating they cannot deny service based on political or religious views. This action may alleviate the ongoing crisis affecting video game developers and platforms, such as Itch.io and Valve, who have faced restrictions on content and payment services due to pressure from these processors.
Remember when Mastercard pressured Steam to remove a bunch of NSFW games? The FTC says that's not cool—sort…
The US Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to major financial services companies like Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, and Stripe, expressing concerns about potential political or religious discrimination in their services. This action follows Valve's report that Mastercard pressured Steam to remove NSFW games, a claim Mastercard denies, stating they only allow lawful purchases. The FTC's investigation could impact how payment processors handle content restrictions.
OkCupid settles FTC case on alleged misuse of its users' personal data
OkCupid and its parent company Match Group have settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission regarding alleged misuse of user data in 2014. The dating service was accused of sharing three million user photos and location information with a third-party AI company, Clarifai, without proper user consent. The settlement prohibits future misrepresentation of data collection practices and consumer choices, with OkCupid stating current practices are strengthened.