WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Trade Commission escalated its antitrust fight with Meta Platforms, Inc., cracked down on an alleged multimillion-dollar health insurance scam, and adjusted plans for a major technology workshop as the agency pressed an aggressive enforcement agenda in late January.
On January 20, the FTC filed notice that it will appeal a November 2025 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that sided with Meta in the government’s monopolization case. The appeal will be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The commission alleges Meta illegally maintained a monopoly in personal social networking services for more than a decade by acquiring emerging rivals it viewed as competitive threats, including Instagram and WhatsApp. FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera said the agency will continue pursuing what he called a historic case to ensure competition can flourish across the U.S. economy.
Days later, the FTC announced it had secured a temporary court order halting the operations of a network of companies and individuals accused of deceptively marketing health insurance plans. At the agency’s request, a federal court in Florida issued a temporary restraining order against Top Healthcare Options Insurance Agency Inc. and 11 related defendants.
According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants allegedly targeted consumers searching online for comprehensive health insurance, only to sell limited-benefit plans and medical discount memberships misrepresented as full coverage. The agency said the scheme caused tens of millions of dollars in harm, leaving consumers exposed to substantial out-of-pocket medical costs.
Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said health insurance is among the most significant purchases families make, and deceptive practices can have devastating financial consequences. The complaint alleges violations of the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule and seeks refunds and other relief for affected consumers.
The commission voted 2-0 to authorize the case, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The defendants include multiple insurance agencies, marketing firms, and individual operators.
Separately, the FTC is pressing ahead with a policy discussion on digital safeguards. The agency released the agenda for its January 28 workshop examining age verification and age estimation technologies, which are increasingly used by online platforms to determine user eligibility and comply with privacy laws such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
The workshop will now be held online only after the FTC canceled in-person attendance due to expected inclement weather in the Washington area. The event will feature remarks from FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson, Commissioner Mark R. Meador, and senior consumer protection officials, along with panel discussions on regulatory challenges, deployment at scale, and the growing role of age verification tools. The webcast will be available through FTC.gov, with details posted at https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events/2026/01/age-verification-workshop.
Together, the actions reflect a broad FTC push spanning antitrust enforcement, consumer protection, and emerging technology oversight as the agency sharpens its focus heading into 2026.
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