On September 9, Crowell & Moring hosted its quarterly Crowell Atelier networking breakfast for luxury and retail clients. The event featured a conversation between Shane St. Hill, chief legal and compliance officer at Studs, an experiential retail and e-commerce company that offers bespoke ear piercing services; and Crowell partner Matthew F. Ferraro, former senior counselor
On August 27, 2025, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) held a virtual public meeting to preview its 2026–2027 agenda. Acting Commissioner Peter Feldman and Executive Director Brian Lorenze outlined a significant pivot in the agency’s approach to product hazard detection and prevention—centered on artificial intelligence and predictive analytics.
The FTC continues to prioritize consumer protection and fair competition, taking significant steps to prosecute and deter offenders while returning funds to consumers in recent cases. In August 2025, the agency secured a $14 million settlement with Match Group, Inc. to stop deceptive advertising and billing practices in the online dating industry. Additionally, the FTC
In the last few months, both Washington State and Pennsylvania enacted significant legislation addressing the malicious use of deepfakes—artificial intelligence-generated or manipulated media. These new laws reflect a growing national and state-level trend to regulate AI-generated content, especially when used to harm individuals or mislead the public. Click here to read the full version of
The FTC has been active this past week in providing guidance, including announcing a request for public comments and providing guidance on referrals for criminal regulatory offenses. It has also received a grant to improve its data processing and announced a proposed order against an e-commerce business opportunity scheme operator. These stories and more, after
The Southern District of New York issued a recent opinion in Lehrman et al v. Lovo, Inc., 1-24-cv-03770 (SDNY Jul. 10, 2025) (J. Paul Oetken) regarding copyright infringement issues involving artificial intelligence models, focusing this time on voice cloning. Two voice-over actors, Paul Lehrman and Linnea Sage, filed a lawsuit against Lovo, Inc., a company
Two bills currently making their way through the California Legislature could, if passed, have far-reaching implications for how companies doing business in California price their goods and services. California Assembly Bill 325 (Aguiar-Curry) and Senate Bill 384 (Wahab), as drafted, seek broad prohibitions against the use, distribution of, and inputs into algorithmic pricing and supply
The FTC closed out the year with significant developments in rulemaking, consumer protection enforcement actions, and priority setting for the new year. From issuing the much-anticipated final Junk Fees Rule, to announcing its potential largest monetary judgment against an auto dealer, to further developing its Operation AI Comply initiative, the Commission ended 2024 on a
To kick off the last full month of the current presidential administration, the Federal Trade Commission’s activity included numerous consumer protection updates. Privacy and cybersecurity and online retailers (especially home security systems) were a focus, including announced court orders and consumer payments for shipping practices, improper use of artificial intelligence, collecting and selling consumer location
The FTC’s activity in the leadup to Thanksgiving and Black Friday involved, appropriately enough, numerous consumer protection updates. The agency called funeral homes, investigated smart device manufacturers’ websites, and expanded a telemarketing rule to target tech support scammers. The Commission also announced an online workshop about predatory pricing, and reached a settlement related to an