The FTC and CFPB filed an amicus brief with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court ruling that exempted furnishers from investigating indirect disputes under the FCRA. The brief argues that all disputes must be investigated to ensure consumers can correct inaccurate credit information and be notified of outcomes, upholding key FCRA protections.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements where the company acts as a furnisher of data to credit reporting agencies (like Experian) and customer-facing agreements related to credit reporting services. Key clauses to examine include data accuracy warranties, dispute investigation procedures, compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and obligations to notify consumers of dispute outcomes. Given this enforcement focus, contracts may need amendments to explicitly require investigation of both direct and indirect disputes, establish clear timelines for responses, and ensure robust record-keeping to demonstrate FCRA adherence. Additionally, audit rights and indemnification provisions should be assessed to allocate risk for potential FCRA violations arising from inaccurate data furnishing.
Entity
Experian
Industry
Data BrokerOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/09/ftc-cfpb-submit-amicus-brief-defending-consumers-ability-dispute-inaccurate-items-credit-reports
ftc cfpb submit amicus brief defending consumers ability dis
https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/amicus-briefs/ftc-cfpb-submit-amicus-brief-defending-consumers-ability-dispute-inaccurate-items-credit-reports
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Ingram v. Experian"
"Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)"
"consumers are entitled to be notified about the outcome of their disputes"
$750K
The FTC finalized an order against Vanilla Chip LLC (doing business as TruHeight) and its principals for deceptively advertising height-enhancing supplements for children and teens without scientific evidence. The company also used fake reviews and incentivized 5-star ratings. The order requires a $750,000 payment and prohibits false health claims and deceptive review practices.
$2.3M
The FTC alleged that RentGrow, a tenant screening company, violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by failing to use reasonable procedures to ensure the accuracy of its reports, including by reporting duplicate records and failing to disclose data sources. RentGrow agreed to pay a $2.25 million penalty and is prohibited from further FCRA violations and from misrepresenting dispute outcomes.
The FTC and New York Attorney General took action against Handy Technologies for deceptive earnings claims and failure to disclose fees and fines that led to millions of dollars being withheld from workers' wages. The FTC is sending over $2.7 million in refunds to 62,893 affected consumers.
$35.0M
The FTC alleged that Hopper, a travel booking app, charged consumers hidden and pre-selected fees (Tip and VIP Support) without their consent, misrepresented the benefits of VIP Support and Price Freeze services, and failed to clearly disclose total prices. Hopper agreed to pay $35 million for consumer redress and is prohibited from misrepresenting fees under a proposed order.
$1.5M
The FTC finalized a settlement with Publishing.com LLC and its principals for misleading consumers about potential earnings from self-publishing products. The company will pay $1.5 million and is prohibited from making unsubstantiated earnings claims, failing to disclose refund terms, and misrepresenting endorsements and reviews.
The FTC is seeking public comment on a proposed policy statement addressing concerns that AI companies may be manipulating AI system outputs contrary to consumer expectations for objectivity and accuracy. The statement explains that such conduct could be considered deceptive under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The public comment period runs until July 31, 2026.