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                    Most Recent Reports**1 - 20 of 182 Reports**
	
	

	
	  **Released on   Apr 5, 2024**
          Vehicle Repair: Information on Evolving Vehicle Technologies and Consumer Choice [Reissued with revisions on Apr. 5, 2024]
    GAO-24-106633
      Published:   Mar 21, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Apr 5, 2024
.
    "Right-to-repair" is the ability to repair your own vehicles or get repairs at auto dealerships or independent repair shops. In this Q&A report, we looked at the effects of changing technologies on the right-to-repair. For example, the use of technology to wirelessly transfer vehicle health and repair data with automakers could give dealerships an advantage. If independent repair shops don't have access to this data...
      **Released on   Sep 8, 2023**
          Medical Advertising: Federal Oversight of Devices
    GAO-23-106197
      Published:   Sep 8, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Sep 8, 2023
.
    There are many TV, print, and online ads for medical devices, such as blood pressure monitors or contact lenses. Direct-to-consumer ads can educate people about devices that may help them. But some of the ads can raise concerns for consumers, doctors, and patients, such as: False advertising Ads that create high demand for a product, which can lead to higher costs Ads that target vulnerable...
      **Released on   Sep 5, 2023**
          Medicare Part D: CMS Should Monitor Effects of Rebates on Plan Formularies and Beneficiary Spending
    GAO-23-105270
      Published:   Sep 5, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Sep 5, 2023
.
    Medicare beneficiaries can have prescription drugs covered via private insurance plans participating in the Medicare Part D program. Premiums and drug costs vary by plan, as do plans' lists of covered drugs—known as "formularies." Drug makers may give plans rebates in exchange for preferred placement over competitors on formularies. The rebates may lower plan premiums, but they don't reduce beneficiaries' payments for the drugs. We...
      **Released on   May 16, 2023**
          Noncompete Agreements: Use is Widespread to Protect Business' Stated Interests, Restricts Job Mobility, and May Affect Wages
    GAO-23-103785
      Published:   May 11, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   May 16, 2023
.
    Noncompete agreements can restrict workers from seeking employment with a competitor or from starting a competing business. These agreements can help companies protect confidential information, but they can also lead to less job mobility and lower wages for workers. Employers have historically used these agreements for highly skilled workers and executives with access to trade secrets or other proprietary information. However, employers we surveyed reported...
      **Released on   Apr 17, 2023**
          Federal Trade Commission: Actions Needed to Improve Education Efforts and Awareness of Complaint Process for Franchise Owners
    GAO-23-105338
      Published:   Apr 17, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Apr 17, 2023
.
    Franchising is when business owners pay a fee to use a larger business's brand name and business model. The Federal Trade Commission protects franchise owners from unfair and deceptive practices on the part of the larger business ("the franchisor"). For example, if a franchise owner is unable to open, and the franchisor promised a fee refund but doesn't give one, FTC may take legal action...
      **Released on   Jan 5, 2023**
          Local Journalism: Innovative Business Approaches and Targeted Policies May Help Local News Media Adapt to Digital Transformation
    GAO-22-105405
      Published:   Jan 5, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jan 5, 2023
.
    The internet has fundamentally changed how local news media operate—particularly by reducing the circulation and revenue of many local newspapers. We convened a 2-day workshop and interviewed journalists, academics, and other experts about the future of local media. The participants discussed strategies news outlets use to adapt to the digital environment and policy proposals to boost the viability of local journalism. For example, direct government...
      **Released on   Jan 3, 2023**
          Antitrust: DOJ and FTC Jurisdictions Overlap, but Conflicts are Infrequent
    GAO-23-105790
      Published:   Jan 3, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jan 3, 2023
.
    The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) both enforce federal antitrust laws, which are meant to promote free and fair competition in the marketplace. We reviewed the types of antitrust cases each agency investigates, areas of overlap, and instances of conflict with respect to antitrust enforcement. We found that DOJ and FTC have an interagency clearance process to identify which agency...
      **Released on   May 26, 2022**
          Consumer Protection: Congress Should Consider Enhancing Protections around Scores Used to Rank Consumers
    GAO-22-104527
      Published:   May 26, 2022
. 
        Publicly Released:   May 26, 2022
.
    Companies increasingly use numeric scores to predict how consumers will behave. Scores are based on hundreds of pieces of information about a person's purchases, consumer characteristics, and more. Scores are used to target ads, to help companies collect debts from consumers, to assess the likelihood of criminal behavior and flight risk, and more. Unlike traditional credit scores, these scores may not be subject to consumer...
      **Released on   Sep 16, 2020**
          Private Health Coverage: Results of Covert Testing for Selected Offerings
    GAO-20-634R
      Published:   Aug 24, 2020
. 
        Publicly Released:   Sep 16, 2020
.
    Our undercover agents conducted 31 tests on health insurance sales representatives to gauge their use of deceptive practices, such as making false statements about coverage. Agents said they had pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes, and sought coverage. In 8 tests, sales representatives engaged in potentially deceptive practices, such as claiming the pre-existing condition was covered when plan documents said otherwise. We referred these cases to...
      **Released on   Aug 11, 2020**
          Facial Recognition Technology: Privacy and Accuracy Issues Related to Commercial Uses
    GAO-20-522
      Published:   Jul 13, 2020
. 
        Publicly Released:   Aug 11, 2020
.
    Businesses can use facial recognition technology to verify or identify people and provide them with access to buildings or online accounts. They can also use the technology to authorize payments, identify shoplifters, and even monitor the spread of COVID-19. But advocacy groups and others have raised privacy and accuracy concerns, like: Loss of anonymity Lack of consent Better performance on men with lighter skin and...
      **Released on   Mar 30, 2020**
          Information Management: Selected Agencies Need to Fully Address Federal Electronic Recordkeeping Requirements
    GAO-20-59
      Published:   Feb 27, 2020
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 30, 2020
.
    Federal recordkeeping requirements seek to ensure transparency and efficiency in federal agency records, including electronic records. Most of the 17 agencies we reviewed had records management programs, and many of those included electronic records requirements. Some agencies’ programs hadn’t fully addressed electronic records requirements, e.g., they didn’t ensure that appropriate emails are preserved. The National Archives and Records Administration hasn’t ensured that smaller agencies at...
      **Released on   Dec 18, 2019**
          Fake Caller ID Schemes: Information on Federal Agencies' Efforts to Enforce Laws, Educate the Public, and Support Technical Initiatives
    GAO-20-153
      Published:   Dec 18, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 18, 2019
.
    Robocalls and other unwanted calls consistently rank among the top consumer complaints to FCC and FTC. Robocallers often use a fake caller ID—a practice known as “spoofing”—to disguise their identities and gain credibility. Spoofing schemes have deceived people into providing financial information or buying falsely advertised products, costing them millions of dollars each year. We looked at what federal agencies are doing to protect consumers...
      **Released on   Nov 14, 2019**
          Generic Drug Development: Stakeholders' Views of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies Differ
    GAO-20-94
      Published:   Oct 15, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 14, 2019
.
    The Food and Drug Administration can require drug companies to establish risk-reduction strategies for drugs with serious safety concerns to help ensure their benefits outweigh their risks. For example, a company’s strategy may include restricting a drug’s distribution to prescribers with special training. Some strategies like these have been used to keep drugs out of the hands of companies looking to develop generic versions of...
      **Released on   Jun 11, 2019**
          Consumer Privacy: Changes to Legal Framework Needed to Address Gaps
    GAO-19-621T
      Published:   Jun 11, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jun 11, 2019
.
    Information resellers—companies that collect and resell information on individuals—have dramatically increased the collection and sharing of personal data in recent years, raising privacy concerns. We testified that there is no overarching federal privacy law that governs the collection and sale of personal information among private-sector companies (such as information resellers). There is also no federal statute that gives consumers the right to learn what information...
      **Released on   Mar 27, 2019**
          Data Breaches: Range of Consumer Risks Highlights Limitations of Identity Theft Services
    GAO-19-230
      Published:   Mar 27, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 27, 2019
.
    Data breaches have exposed the personal data of hundreds of millions of people and put them at risk for identity theft. We looked at what you can do if you're a victim of a data breach. Identity theft services can be convenient, but they don't prevent fraud from happening in the first place. There are also some steps you can take on your own for...
      **Released on   Mar 26, 2019**
          Consumer Data Protection: Action Needed to Strengthen Oversight of Consumer Reporting Agencies
    GAO-19-469T
      Published:   Mar 26, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 26, 2019
.
    Consumer reporting agencies are companies that collect, maintain, and sell vast amounts of sensitive data. In 2017, a breach at Equifax, one of the largest companies, compromised at least 145.5 million consumers' data. Consumers have little control over what information these companies have, so federal oversight is important—and it could be improved. For example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau doesn't routinely consider data security risk...
          Consumer Data Protection: Actions Needed to Strengthen Oversight of Consumer Reporting Agencies
    GAO-19-196
      Published:   Feb 21, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 26, 2019
.
    Consumer reporting agencies are companies that collect, maintain, and sell vast amounts of sensitive data. In 2017, a breach at Equifax, one of the largest of these companies, compromised at least 145.5 million consumers' data. Consumers have little control over what information these companies have, so federal oversight is important—and it could be improved. For example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau doesn't routinely consider data...
      **Released on   Mar 7, 2019**
          Internet Privacy and Data Security: Additional Federal Authority Could Enhance Consumer Protection and Provide Flexibility
    GAO-19-427T
      Published:   Mar 7, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 7, 2019
.
    This testimony focuses on the Federal Trade Commission's authority to oversee Internet privacy and security. Without a comprehensive federal data privacy law, the United States relies in part on FTC to use its broad authority to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive trade practices. Most industry representatives we interviewed favored the current approach and warned that further regulations could hinder innovation. Consumer advocates and most...
      **Released on   Feb 13, 2019**
          Internet Privacy: Additional Federal Authority Could Enhance Consumer Protection and Provide Flexibility
    GAO-19-52
      Published:   Jan 15, 2019
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 13, 2019
.
    In April 2018, Facebook said that up to 87 million users' personal data may have been improperly disclosed. This was one of many recent Internet privacy incidents. We found that there is no comprehensive U.S. Internet privacy law governing private companies’ collection, use, or sale of users’ data. Consumer advocates and others told us greater regulatory powers are needed. Most industry representatives we interviewed favored...
      **Released on   Nov 14, 2018**
          Memory Supplements: Results of Testing for Selected Supplements
    GAO-19-23R
      Published:   Oct 18, 2018
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 14, 2018
.
    Do memory supplements contain what they claim? We had three products tested. One product, marketed as Ginkgo biloba, did not contain that ingredient. Instead it contained an unknown substitute; as such the safety of the product is unknown. The second product was marketed as a supplement that included Ginkgo biloba. It also contained an unknown substitute, instead of Ginkgo biloba. The third product, marketed as...
    
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