In the heat of summer, the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection curbed deceptive weight-loss claims by sellers of GLP-1s, as well as debt relief scams and secret mobile data collection. The FTC also reopened and set aside a final consent order regarding Exxon Mobil's board and management following its acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources. These stories and more, after the jump.
Monday, July 14, 2025
Bureau of Consumer Protection; Health; Weight Loss; Advertising and Marketing; Endorsements, Influencers, and Reviews
- As we previously reported in our client alert, the FTC announced a $150,000 settlement with operators of the telemedicine company Southern Health Solutions, Inc., doing business as Next Medical and NextMed, settling charges that the company used deceptive cost and weight loss claims as well as fake reviews and testimonials to lure customers into buying their weight-loss membership programs. In its complaint, the FTC alleged the company sold monthly membership programs without adequately disclosing important terms and conditions, such as the additional costs of medications or necessary medical visits and early membership-termination fees. The FTC also alleged the company falsified positive reviews, utilizing testimonials and photos from people who were not clients, and the company suppressed negative reviews by selectively challenging critical reviews and offering monetary incentives to customers in exchange for removing negative reviews. In addition to the monetary settlement, which is expected to fund consumer refunds, the proposed consent order prohibits the company from misrepresenting its services, weight-loss claims or terms and conditions, and manipulating its reviews.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Bureau of Competition; Merger; Interlocking Directorates
- The FTC reopened and set aside a January 2025 consent order following a petition by the founder and former CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, a company recently acquired by Exxon Mobile Corporation. The consent order prohibited Exxon from nominating, designating, or appointing the founder, Scott Sheffield, to the Exxon board of directors or from allowing Mr. Sheffield to serve in an advisory capacity to Exxon's board or management. Additionally, Exxon was prohibited from nominating, designating, or appointing certain Pioneer employees or directors to the Exxon board for a period of five years. The Commission initially denied the founder and former CEO's petition for lack of standing on July 15, 2025, but revisited the petition pursuant to its authority under the FTC's Rules of Practice Rule 3.72. The initial complaint alleged that Mr. Sheffield sought to coordinate output levels with other crude oil producers and alleged any board appointment would create an unlawful interlocking directorate. After a period of public comment and review, the FTC found that vacating the final order is in the public interest because the initial complaint disregarded both the FTC's Merger Guidelines and related precedent, and also failed to allege an antitrust violation.
Friday, July 18, 2025
Bureau of Consumer Protection; Mobile; Privacy and Security; Consumer Privacy; Data Security
- In response to a petition by the CEO of Support King, LLC (d/b/a SpyFone.com), Scott Zuckerman, the FTC is seeking public comment on a petition to vacate or modify an order banning Support King and Mr. Zuckerman from offering, promoting, selling, or advertising any surveillance app, service, or business by August 19, 2025. The order followed a 2021 FTC complaint that alleged Support King and Zuckerman sold apps that allowed purchasers to secretly monitor devices without device-owner knowledge, thereby secretly collecting and sharing data on photos, text messages, web histories, location, and physical movements. In the petition, Mr. Zuckerman asserts that Support King is permanently closed and claims that the FTC's order imposed an "excessive and unnecessary burden" on him personally and has prevented him from expanding his other restaurant and "tourism" businesses that remain subject to the order.
Monday, July 21, 2025
Bureau of Consumer Protection; Debt Relief; Credit and Loans
- In a 3-0 decision, the FTC voted to bring an action against several companies and individuals that allegedly operated an "Accelerated Debt" relief program, primarily targeting seniors and veterans. The FTC alleges, among other things, that defendants directly solicited consumers with false promises of debt relief and impersonated consumers' banks or credit card issuers or the federal government. On Monday, July 21, 2025, an Arizona district court issued a temporary restraining order against defendants, asset freeze, appointment of a receiver, an order to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not issue, and other equitable relief.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Bureau of Consumer Protection; Consumer Refunds; Debt Relief
- The FTC is sending checks to consumers harmed by a fake student loan forgiveness program. Defendant businesses and their owners were charged for luring students with a non-existent relief program while falsely claiming affiliation with the U.S. Department of Education and charging illegal junk fees. A settlement was announced in October 2023 ordering individual defendants to surrender their assets and permanently cease offering any kind of debt relief.
Bureau of Competition; Prescription Drugs
- On Thursday, July 24, 2025, the FTC, Department of Commerce, DOJ Antitrust Division and the Department of Health and Human services jointly held a listening session regarding affordability of prescription drugs. This session was the second in a series dedicated to strategies for making prescription drugs more affordable by promoting competition. This session focused on formulary and benefit practices and regulatory abuse.
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