Trump administration officials have confirmed that they’re considering issuing an emergency regulation that would restrict how long consumers can file complaints to the FTC.
That rule would also require companies to give consumers a 24-hour window to file an FTC complaint.
A federal agency that oversees the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission (FCA), released a draft rule that it said would prohibit companies from charging consumers for “extraordinary” or “extra-broad” content they are not allowed to charge consumers for.
The rule would essentially limit the time consumers have to file FTC complaints to six months.
If that rule goes into effect, it would be the first time the agency has issued an emergency rules in its nearly 50-year history.
The FCA is currently reviewing the draft rule.
It’s unclear if the FCA will adopt the rule, as some advocates have suggested.
If the rule goes forward, it could affect the way Americans can access their online privacy, as well as the amount and quality of legal information that is available to consumers.
The FCC’s proposed rules would affect the content, information and devices that consumers access online.
The proposed rule would prohibit the sale of devices that allow consumers to access copyrighted material without permission.
This means that a device could be required to register as a copyright holder, and that consumers could not use that device to access information that they have obtained or purchased from a third party without permission from the copyright holder.
The proposed rule also would prohibit retailers from charging users for extra-broad content they may not be allowed to pay for.
The FCA could prohibit retailers to charge for “premium” content that is not subject to the same limits that apply to “basic” content, and could require that those products also require users to register with the FTC as a third-party copyright holder to access that content.
The FTC is currently investigating several complaints from consumers regarding the use of unauthorized access to copyrighted material, including the use on social media and in the purchase of apps.