Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is the federal agency responsible for consumer protection and the enforcement of competition law. Entries naming it from 2025 onward record enforcement actions brought against organisations on consumer-protection grounds, several concerning medical or professional bodies.
2026 Events (4)
FTC ended disparate-impact credit-discrimination enforcement and retroactively softened three settlements
On August 7, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission voted 2-0 to adopt a policy statement declaring it will no longer pursue "disparate-impact" or "unfair discrimination" claims under any statute it enforces, including credit-discrimination cases under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Chairman Andrew Ferguson said disparate-impact liability "imposes liability for discrimination without any evidence that anyone intended to discriminate" and that the Commission "never had authority" to apply it. As part of the policy, the FTC reviewed and modified compliance obligations in three already-settled auto-dealer discrimination cases -- Napleton Inc. ($10 million), Passport Auto Group ($3.3 million), and an individual formerly of Coulter Motor Co. -- that had relied in part on statistical evidence of discriminatory effect.
FTC sues WPATH, the leading transgender medical standards body, alleging 'deceptive claims' on youth care
The Federal Trade Commission filed suit on June 17, 2026, against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), alleging the organization made "deceptive claims" about gender-affirming care for minors and that its members profited from those claims. Four state attorneys general — Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas — joined the suit. The action came after a federal judge ruled in May 2026 that an earlier FTC investigation of WPATH likely violated the organization's First Amendment rights, and as the FTC conducted parallel investigations into two other major medical bodies — the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society — over their gender-affirming care guidelines.
Public Citizen found agencies canceled or froze 159 corporate enforcement actions in Trump's first year, many tied to inaugural donors
A Public Citizen report published January 15, 2026 found that during the first year of President Trump's second term, federal agencies — including the Justice Department, SEC, FTC, and CFPB — canceled or froze 159 enforcement actions against 166 corporations that had been under federal investigation or prosecution. Of the companies that received favorable treatment, 31 had donated to Trump's inauguration or White House ballroom fund, a pattern the group had flagged in advance in an April 2025 analysis warning the donations "may serve as down payments" for dropped cases. The report documents the systemic collapse of corporate enforcement rather than asserting a proven quid pro quo in any individual case.
FTC issued Civil Investigative Demands to Endocrine Society and AAP for records on pediatric gender-affirming care guidelines
On January 15, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission issued Civil Investigative Demands to the Endocrine Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics, demanding years of internal records on their pediatric gender dysphoria clinical guidelines under the theory the organizations may have engaged in "false advertising or unfair practices." The medical societies sued in federal court, arguing the demands were First Amendment retaliation targeting their scientific positions rather than genuine consumer protection enforcement. On May 8, 2026, Chief Judge James Boasberg granted a preliminary injunction blocking FTC enforcement, finding "extensive evidence of animus" and "wafer-thin justifications" for the investigation.
2025 Events (1)
FTC issued sweeping records demand to media-rating firm NewsGuard following chairman's public criticism
The Federal Trade Commission under Chairman Andrew Ferguson issued a 21-page, 31-item Civil Investigative Demand to NewsGuard, which publishes journalist-produced credibility ratings for news outlets, on May 20, 2025, seeking internal memos, methodology documents, subscriber lists, and communications dating back to the company's 2018 founding. The demand followed months of public criticism from Ferguson, who as an FTC commissioner in November 2024 accused NewsGuard of running "collusive ad boycotts" against conservative and independent media.