Independent US agency enforcing civil antitrust and consumer protection law
A set of lawsuits allege that Genesis Tech used shell companies to mask profits and move funds overseas, prompting a lawsuit by the FTC. Separately, LA County faces scrutiny over a massive child-sex-abuse settlement amid fraud concerns, while a separate case involves real estate schemes tied to a Palm Beach figure.
The Federal Trade Commission and several states have filed a Texas suit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), accusing the group of deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and of profiting from those claims. WPATH says guidelines are individualized. The action follows ongoing FTC probes and a broader fight over minors’ gender-affirming treatments.
Fraud losses reached a record $15.9 billion in 2025, up 27% from 2024, with high-dollar imposter scams driving most of the damage. Imposters posing as banks and government officials lead the most costly cases, while AI tools are making scams harder to detect. Authorities urge caution and verification.
The US Supreme Court has rejected President Trump’s executive order that would have denied automatic citizenship to nearly all children born on US soil. In a 6-3 ruling written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has affirmed that the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to those born in the United States, while three justices dissented.
A series of 6-3 rulings across several federal circuits has reinforced broad presidential authority in immigration and asylum matters. The courts have allowed mass detention and swift enforcement actions under executive orders, while some panels require bond hearings for detainees. The fabric of due process and administrative power is being tested as the administration pushes sweeping policy changes.
The judiciary is tightening oversight on executive actions as courts assess the scope of presidential power in civil service and immigration matters. Recent rulings have implications for how federal agencies operate and how the administration handles asylum policy and courthouse arrests.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the president can remove leaders of most independent federal agencies, overturning the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent, while carving out an exception for the Federal Reserve. The decisions leave Lisa Cook in place for now but open the door for presidents to exert new control over agencies such as the FTC, shifting regulatory power toward the White House.
Fans across the US report cancelled or nonexistent World Cup tickets bought on StubHub. Lawsuits have been filed alleging false sales practices; authorities are probing ticket deliveries, while FIFA and StubHub point to the event organizer’s infrastructure.
Trump Accounts are launching with a $1,000 federal seed for babies born 2025–2028, with philanthropic and employer contributions expanding the program. Morningstar warns outcomes depend on ongoing contributions and owner behavior; leakage could erode gains. Companies pledge to match and push auto-enrollment to broaden reach.
Meta has discontinued Muse Image, its Instagram-linked AI image generator, following privacy concerns. The feature, which automatically enrolled public accounts for image generation, is no longer available. The move comes after swift criticism from creators, unions and privacy advocates, who argued the feature violated consent and risked non-consensual image manipulation.
The AP and other outlets report a surge in romance scams in the United States, with 49,000 victims losing about $1.3 billion last year. The phenomenon is linked to increased loneliness and social isolation, with victims often manipulated into sending money to non-existent partners.
The Federal Trade Commission has secured a $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon over unlawful Prime enrollments and hard-to-cancel policies. Eligible U.S. customers may receive up to $51 per claim, with payments expected by September 2026. Amazon must tighten enrollment and cancellation disclosures and stop challenged enrollment practices.
The FTC, with Los Angeles County and Utah, has filed a lawsuit accusing Hims & Hers of sharing users’ sensitive health information with major online advertisers via embedded trackers, despite company assurances of privacy. The agency also alleges deceptive billing and hard-to-cancel subscriptions as part of the case.
The Treasury has posted plans to assume management of the federal defaulted student-loan portfolio and create a Default Resolution Hub to guide borrowers back to good standing. The transition, announced as part of a broader push to overhaul the Education Department, is set to occur in phases and may involve new collection vendors. The move could affect 10 million borrowers currently in default and broaden wage garnishment and benefit seizures if default persists.
The Justice Department has reached a $400m settlement with TikTok and related entities over alleged violations of the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act. TikTok will pay $300m immediately and another $100m after a court vacates a 2019 consent decree tied to Musical.ly. The deal resolves a 2024 DOJ suit and includes stronger youth safeguards, the department says.
The FTC and five states have reached a settlement with Zillow and Redfin over their rental-listing partnership. The deal allows Redfin to resume rental advertising and keeps Zillow-Redfin cooperation, while boosting competition and aiming to lower listing costs for landlords and renters. The settlement covers ads and a staged return to rentals through 2030.
The FTC has filed a proposed order requiring Redfin to restart its standalone rental listings and to resume competing for property-management customers, following a settlement with Zillow and state AGs. The agreement preserves a rental partnership but allows Redfin to pursue its own rental business and ad sales. The settlement resolves litigation in five states and follows an antitrust case that claimed higher rents and lower listing quality.
The FTC and 22 states have filed a federal lawsuit alleging Amazon has secretly inflated prices in its ad auctions since 2019 by inserting a "soft reserve" bid, extracting about $20bn from roughly 1.2 million advertisers and passing higher costs to shoppers. Amazon has called the suit "misguided" and denied it harmed advertisers or consumers.
A Virginia judge has declined to force Google to sell its AdX ad exchange, instead ordering consideration of behavioral remedies. The ruling sustains earlier findings that Google held illegal monopolies in publisher ads and ad exchanges, while delaying specifics on required changes. The DOJ and states say they will review next steps.