FTC's 2011 Annual report

The Federal Trade Commission Chairman issued the FTC’s 2011 Annual Report highlighting the agency’s continued efforts to protect financially distressed consumers and promote competition during the economic downturn.

The report describes the agency’s accomplishments during the previous year, including:

• Settling charges that Intel Corp. excluded chip rivals. To settle charges that it illegally used its dominant position for a decade to stifle competition and strengthen its computer chip monopoly, Intel agreed to no longer retaliate against computer manufacturers who do business with its rivals. The FTC’s consent order clears the way for competition unfettered by Intel’s exclusionary conduct.
• Revising the Horizontal Merger Guidelines. In the first major update in 18 years, the 2010 Horizontal Merger Guidelines more accurately reflect how the federal antitrust agencies identify and evaluate mergers that are likely to harm competition. The revised Guidelines, issued jointly by the FTC and the Department of Justice, provide more clarity and predictability for businesses.
• Releasing a staff report on privacy issues. Based on more than 40 years of enforcing privacy law, FTC staff proposed a framework to balance consumer privacy with industry innovation in the 21st century. Key recommendations include: 1) “privacy by design,” 2) simplified consumer choice, including 3) increased transparency of data practices.
• Bringing cases against national advertisers. The FTC challenged health claims made by several national food advertisers, including Dannon Company, Kellogg Company, Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition, Inc., and POM Wonderful, and strengthened order language. These actions make clear that no advertiser can make disease prevention and health benefit claims without real substantiation.
• Developing social media at the agency. The agency has information that tech-savvy consumers need to make informed choices, manage their finances, stay safe online, and avoid fraud. Consumers looking for up-to-date information on how to avoid the latest scams and schemes can now “like” the FTC on Facebook, “follow us” on Twitter, or check out educational videos on the FTC’s YouTube channel.