Articles tagged “ftc”

In a long, dense and fascinating proposed rule document the U.S. Federal Trade Commission published earlier this month in the Federal Register, it outlines what the effect of fee transparency…

Travel companies have steadfastly denied they mislead consumers regarding their pricing, but their claims have long fallen on deaf ears from travelers. Here's a look at what some travelers and travel brands have said about so-called junk fees.

The White House has increasingly called out the travel industry for the proliferation of junk fees and now, it has a plan to get rid of the charges that travelers frequently encounter.

Google clearly places its own travel businesses front and center in its search results to the detriment of competitors. Google argues that this benefits consumers. If you buy that argument, then you also probably believe that Google always knows best.

There are many travel brands that are seemingly in violation of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's new native ad guidelines on how to disclose when social media influencers were paid. Consumers appreciate brands more when they're transparent and develop deeper connections with influencers when they know what they truly support and enjoy when they're not being paid.

The European regulatory probe of Google on several fronts is putting pressure on the U.S.'s FTC to jump into the fray after bowing out under less-than-stellar circumstances a few years ago. Still, don't expect any meaningful changes in Google's practices until the regulatory processes likely wind through the courts.

While the Truth in Hotel Advertising Act has yet to gain any support in Congress, it represents a blow to ubiquity of hotel resort fees and other surcharges that are traditionally tacked on at the end of a hotel stay.

Travel companies speaking out against the all-powerful Google walk a thin line because they are dependent on Google to widely varying degrees. They now have an apparent ally in the European Commission while the U.S. FTC opted out.

TripAdvisor still spends a lot of money with Google so Kaufer's condemnation of Google's practices stands out. Others have been more circumspect.

U.S. and European antitrust authorities have collaborated in their respective probes of Google. Strong antitrust regulatory action in Europe could rekindle interest in the U.S., assuming Google's lobbyists are unsuccessful in squelching it.