On Wednesday of this week by a vote of 51-50 with the Vice President breaking the tie, the U.S. Senate formally confirmed Alvaro Bedoya as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Bedoya, who is the Founding Director of Georgetown University’s Center of Privacy and Technology as well as a Visiting Professor at the…
Read More »On the flip side of the nomination coin, also on Wednesday of this week, Senate Democrats voted 51-50 to advance the nomination of Alvaro Bedoya to serve as a Member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The Bedoya nomination was tied up in a deadlocked (14-14) Senate Commerce Committee and needed to be advanced by…
Read More »In the highly charged and partisan US Congress, another nominee of President Biden has been deadlocked in committee, necessitating additional votes in the Senate to move the nomination forward. The Founding Director of the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University School of Law as well as a Visiting Professor there, Alvaro Bedoya was…
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Since the coronavirus pandemic was first declared an emergency here in the United States, we’ve been making slow, but steady progress and we’re now starting to see the fruits of those efforts. Oh, not with regard to COVID. I’m talking about the FTC Franchise Rule and government efforts to clamp down on abusive franchisors, and…
Read More »When Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) became aware of the lopsided playing field with which franchisees have had to contend, she set about seeking solutions. She subsequently produced an 87-page report on franchising, filed legislation to mandate more transparency and pushed for more diligent enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Well, we are now…
Read More »The National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees (NCASEF) has formally petitioned the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to initiate an investigation into the franchise industry. In particular, the petition urges that the agency investigate 9 franchise brands in particular, including 7-Eleven, Subway, UPS Stores, IHG Hotels, Choice Hotels, Experimax/Experimac, Supercuts, Massage Envy and Dickey’s…
Read More »Speaking of the FTC, as the sole agency in the federal government with any significant degree of oversight of the franchise industry, it is important to note that the Chairwoman Lina Khan, confirmed by the U.S. Senate back in June, released a memorandum last week that clearly outlined her vision and priorities for the agency…
Read More »The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a hearing this week specifically on the Federal Trade Commission, the federal agency charged with oversight of franchising across the country. The panel of witnesses at the August 5 hearing included all five of the FTC Commissioners, including Commissioner Rohit Chopra, who specifically highlighted some…
Read More »Advertising Age Magazine reports that the Federal Trade Commission is once again handing out subpoenas to companies that market food to children and teens and Dunkin’ Brands is NOT on the 2010 list.
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