Citizen Complaint Center

To report antitrust concerns to the Antitrust Division:

• Step 1: Fully Describe Your Concern
• Step 2: Submit the Concern to the Citizen Complaint Center

Please keep in mind that the Antitrust Division is prohibited from giving legal advice to private individuals.

Step 1: Fully Describe Your Concern

If you have information about a possible antitrust violation or potential anticompetitive activity, use the following questions as a guideline to describe your complaint:

• What are the names of companies, individuals, or organizations that are involved?
• How do you believe they have violated the federal antitrust laws? (For details on federal antitrust laws, see Antitrust Laws and You.)
• Can you give examples of the conduct that you believe violates the antitrust laws? If so, please provide as much detail as possible.
• What is the product or service affected by this conduct? Where is the product manufactured or sold, or where is the service provided?
• Who are the major competitors that sell the product or provide the service?
• What is your role in the situation in question?
• Who is harmed by the alleged violations? How are they harmed?

Step 2: Submit the Concern to the Citizen Complaint Center

You may submit your concern by e-mail, regular mail, or phone.

How We Handle Your Complaint

The Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center (CCC) handles complaints in the following way:

1. The CCC creates a record of the information that you provided.
2. The CCC conducts a preliminary review of your complaint for possible antitrust violations.
3. If your complaint raises sufficient concern under the Federal antitrust laws, the CCC refers it to the appropriate Division legal staff where additional research may lead to a formal investigation into the reported conduct.
4. If the Division needs more information, we will contact you typically within one month of submitting your complaint. Due to the confidential nature of Division investigations, you will not be notified if we open an investigation.

In some instances, the volume of mail, e-mail, and phone calls on a particular issue is so great that we cannot respond to each message individually. We would like you to know, however, that your views are important and all incoming correspondence is reviewed for possible antitrust violations.

Confidentiality Policy and Privacy Policy

Our Confidentiality Policy and Privacy Policy apply to all complaints received by the Antitrust Division.

Criminal Antitrust Leniency Program for Corporations and Individuals

Individuals or companies who (a) believe they may have been involved in criminal antitrust violations and (b) cooperate with the Antitrust Division can avoid criminal conviction, fines, and prison sentences if they meet the conditions of the Division’s Leniency Program.

Leniency application instructions, the Division’s corporate and individual leniency policies, model leniency letters, and other information regarding the Division’s Leniency Program are available on the Leniency Program page.