Federal Trade Commission March 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FTC is planning to host a public workshop, Protecting Consumers in the New Mortgage Marketplace. The workshop will explore consumer protection issues arising from the emergence of ``nontraditional'' or ``alternative'' mortgage products in the United States residential mortgage marketplace. The workshop will provide an opportunity for government regulators, industry participants, consumer advocates, and other interested parties to discuss the impact of these products on consumers and the marketplace. The event is open to the public and there is no fee for attendance. For admittance to the workshop, all attendees will be required to show a valid form of photo identification, such as a driver's license. Additional information about the workshop will be posted on the FTC's Web site at https://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/mortgage/. Date and Location: The workshop will be held on May 24, 2006, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Federal Trade Commission's Satellite Building Conference Center located at 601 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. Requests to Participate as Workshop Panelists: FTC staff will identify and invite individuals with relevant expertise to participate as panelists. In addition, the FTC staff may invite other persons to participate as panelists who submit requests in response to this Federal Register notice. Requests to participate as panelists in the workshop must be received on or before Wednesday, April 12, 2006. Persons filing requests to participate as panelists will be notified whether they have been invited on or before Wednesday, April 26, 2006. For further instructions, please see the ``Requests to Participate as Workshop Panelists'' section under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below. Workshop Agenda: Additional information about the workshop will be posted on the FTC's Web site at https://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/ mortgage/. An agenda will be posted there in advance of the workshop.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS, NCUA, and FTC (the Agencies) request comment to gather information useful for developing the guidelines and regulations required by section 312 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act). Pursuant to section 312, the Agencies, acting in consultation and coordination, must: Establish guidelines for use by persons that furnish information to consumer reporting agencies (furnishers) regarding the accuracy and integrity of the consumer information that they furnish to those agencies; and prescribe regulations that require furnishers to establish reasonable policies and procedures for implementing the guidelines. Section 312 also requires the Agencies jointly to prescribe regulations that identify the circumstances under which a furnisher shall be required to reinvestigate a dispute concerning the accuracy of information contained in a consumer report on a consumer based on a direct request of the consumer.

The FTC intends to conduct consumer research to examine the effectiveness of the FTC's current energy labeling requirements for consumer products and obtain information about alternatives to those labels. This activity is part of the Commission's efforts to examine the current labeling program, as required by section 137 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58). Before gathering this information, the FTC is seeking public comments on its proposed consumer research. Comments will be considered before the FTC submits a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

The Federal Trade Commission (``the Commission'') has completed its regulatory review of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (``the COPPA Rule'' or ``the Rule''), which implements the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998. The Rule regulates how Web site operators and others may collect, use, and distribute personal information from children online. The Commission requested comment on the costs and benefits of the Rule and whether it should be retained without change, modified, or eliminated. The Commission also requested comment on the Rule's effect on: information practices relating to children; children's ability to obtain online access to information of their choice; and the availability of Web sites directed to children. Pursuant to this review, the Commission concludes that the Rule continues to be valuable to children, their parents, and Web site operators, and has determined to retain the Rule in its current form. This document discusses the comments received in response to the Commission's request for public comment and announces the Commission's decision to retain the Rule without modification.

The FTC is soliciting public comments on proposed information requests to beverage alcohol manufacturers. These comments will be considered before the FTC submits a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, of compulsory process orders to alcohol advertisers for information concerning, inter alia, compliance with voluntary advertising placement provisions, sales and marketing expenditures, and the status of third-party review of complaints regarding compliance with voluntary advertising codes.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of Federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.