WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Trade Commission rolled out a sweeping series of enforcement actions and consumer protection moves this month, signaling an aggressive posture on competition, fraud, online safety, and consumer refunds as the agency flexes its authority across multiple sectors of the economy.
In a flurry of announcements beginning December 8, the FTC announced that it will convene a public workshop on January 28, 2026, to examine age verification and age estimation technologies used by websites and online services. The session will explore why age verification matters, how the technologies work, their regulatory implications, and their intersection with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The workshop will be held both online and in person at the FTC’s Constitution Center and will be free and open to the public.
That same day, the Commission rejected a bid by Scott Zuckerman, the former CEO of Support King LLC, to overturn a 2021 FTC order that permanently barred him from offering surveillance or “stalkerware” products. The FTC found no legal or factual basis to reopen the case, which stemmed from allegations that Zuckerman’s SpyFone apps enabled secret device monitoring, forced users to disable security protections, and harvested sensitive personal data without consent.
The agency also announced a record-setting antitrust penalty against 7-Eleven. The convenience store chain and its parent company agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle allegations they violated a prior FTC consent order by acquiring a Florida fuel outlet without advance notice. The penalty is the largest ever collected by the FTC for a prior-notice violation and caps a case tied to 7-Eleven’s $3.3 billion acquisition of Sunoco fuel outlets. The FTC said internal compliance failures allowed the illegal acquisition to go undisclosed for more than three years.
On Dec. 9, the FTC widened its focus on the rental housing market, sending warning letters to 13 property management software providers over concerns they may be enabling deceptive pricing practices. The agency said software that prevents landlords from disclosing mandatory fees alongside base rent could mislead consumers and violate federal law, exposing companies to civil penalties exceeding $53,000 per violation.
The consumer protection push continued with the FTC announcing more than $27.6 million in refunds to over 1.2 million consumers ensnared in unauthorized billing schemes involving CBD, keto, and other health-related products. Checks and PayPal payments are being distributed through mid-December following settlements that permanently banned the defendants from using negative-option billing tactics.
The Commission also moved to lower drug prices, revealing that Teva Pharmaceuticals has requested the removal of more than 200 improper patent listings from the FDA’s Orange Book after FTC challenges. The removals are expected to clear the way for generic competition for dozens of asthma, diabetes, and COPD drugs, as well as epinephrine autoinjectors.
Additional refunds were announced on December 11th, when the FTC said it is mailing more than $9.6 million to consumers misled by CarShield’s vehicle service contract advertising. The agency alleged customers paid monthly fees only to discover many repairs were not covered, contrary to marketing claims.
Rounding out the enforcement blitz, the FTC released its Fiscal Year 2025 Do Not Call Registry Data Book, showing robocall complaints remain nearly half of what they were four years ago, even as overall complaints rose. More than 258 million phone numbers are now registered nationwide, with Arizona, Tennessee, and Nevada leading in complaints per capita.
The agency closed the week by suing to block Henkel’s $725 million acquisition of Liquid Nails, arguing the deal would merge the two dominant construction adhesive brands and drive up housing and home improvement costs. The FTC voted unanimously to seek a permanent injunction, calling the merger unlawful under modern antitrust standards.
Taken together, the actions reflect an FTC casting a wide net — policing digital markets, cracking down on deceptive practices, returning millions to consumers, and taking on corporate consolidation — as federal regulators intensify scrutiny across the U.S. economy.
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