Tag Archives: ftc

US DOJ, worried about 5G race, asks for hearing if Qualcomm’s declared a monopoly

The US Justice Department on Thursday asked for a hearing on Qualcomm’s possible punishment if a California judge agrees with the Federal Trade Commission and declares the chipmaker to be a monopoly — largely because it’s worried about competition in 5G. In a statement of interest filed in US District Court in San Jose, California, …

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Facebook’s privacy woes have a price tag: $3 billion or more

Facebook’s long list of scandals has only grown longer this year. Those troubles finally hit the social network where it matters: earnings. The social network said Wednesday it’s set aside $3 billion to cover possible expenses for a possible fine related to an ongoing investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission. The yet-unannounced FTC fine, which Facebook said could be …

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Apple, Qualcomm head into latest legal battle, with billions at stake

When it comes to Apple vs. Qualcomm, the Federal Trade Commission trial in January was just a dress rehearsal. Now it’s time for the real show. The two technology giants meet on Monday in a San Diego courtroom to kick off a five-week, $27 billion trial that’ll determine whether Qualcomm operates a smartphone modem chip monopoly and charges too much …

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FCC has fined robocallers millions but collected just a few grand, says report

Almost everyone would agree that robocalls are annoying, and the Federal Communications Commission has been ramping up efforts to crack down on illegal calls. Since 2015, the FCC has ordered violators of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which governs telemarketers and robocalling, to pay a total of $208.4 million, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. …

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FTC shuts down four groups responsible for billions of illegal robocalls

Four companies that made billions of illegal robocalls have been caught and fined. The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday said the agency reached settlements with four operations responsible for billions of illegal robocalls pitching debt-relief services, home security systems, fake charities, auto warranties and Google search results services. The companies were charged with violating the FTC Act, as well as …

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FTC demands details from broadband companies on privacy practices

The Federal Trade Commission is demanding that the nation’s largest broadband and wireless companies explain their privacy practices and how they monetize consumer data. On Tuesday, the agency sent letters to seven companies, including AT&T, Comcast, Google Fiber, T-Mobile and Verizon, posing a series of questions about their data practices.  “The FTC is initiating this study to better understand internet …

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Qualcomm can’t get back the billions it paid Apple, judge rules

Apple can keep the billions of dollars that Qualcomm paid it as part of their 2013 contract, a judge has ruled. And Qualcomm’s still on the hook for payments it stopped making.  In a summary judgment published Thursday, US District Court Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel of the Southern District of California granted four of Apple’s requests ahead of a trial …

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TikTok to pay $5.7M in FTC settlement over children’s privacy

Social video app TikTok will pay $5.7 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it illegally collected personal information from children.  TikTok, previously known as Musical.ly, lets users record themselves lip-synching to popular music videos and share the clips with friends. The app has reportedly surpassed 1 billion downloads on iOS and Android.  The FTC had alleged that the …

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Facebook accused of tricking kids in complaint to FTC

Child advocates and other consumer groups are urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether Facebook violated federal law by allegedly duping kids into spending their parents’ money on online games.  The complaint, which was sent to the FTC on Thursday, stems from an investigation by Reveal, a website run by the Center for Investigative Reporting. The nonprofit news organization, citing 135 …

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Qualcomm reaches interim licensing agreement with Huawei

Qualcomm may be facing fire for its licensing practices, but it managed to reach an interim agreement with one previously resistant handset maker. The company on Wednesday said Huawei, the world’s second-biggest smartphone company, has signed a short-term licensing agreement with Qualcomm. The deal, reached in Qualcomm’s fiscal first quarter that ended Dec. 30, runs through the company’s fiscal third …

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