Washington, D.C. — Today, the Federal Trade Commission’s rule to ban junk fees in event ticketing and short-term lodging officially goes into effect, marking a major victory for consumers and the broader antimonopoly movement. The American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“Thanks to Chair Lina Khan’s Federal Trade Commission, Americans will now be able to see the real price of a concert ticket or short-term rental—without having to click through pages of hidden fees,” said Nidhi Hegde, Executive Director of the American Economic Liberties Project. “This is a big win for transparency, competition, and fairness in the marketplace. For too long, dominant firms like Ticketmaster, Airbnb, and others have used mandatory and deceptive junk fees to confuse consumers and undercut honest businesses. But now, that’s beginning to change.” 

###

The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.