美国联邦贸易委员会（FTC）正在调查，Square 和 Cash App 的母公司 Block Inc. 是否因大幅裁员，未能提供充分的客户服务以协助处理账户冻结或停用问题，从而违反了美国消费者保护法律。
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Block Inc., the parent of Square and Cash App, violated US consumer protection laws by failing to provide adequate customer service to help with frozen or deactivated accounts amid significant cuts in staffing.
这家反垄断和消费者保护机构于周三晚些时候在法庭文件中披露了此次调查，并请求法官下令要求这家数字支付公司提交相关文件。根据这些文件，FTC 去年开始展开调查，并在收到超过 1500 起消费者投诉后，于今年 1 月发出了文件索取要求。
The antitrust and consumer protection agency disclosed the probe in court filings late Wednesday seeking a judge’s order to force the digital payments company to turn over documents. The FTC began its investigation last year and sent a demand for records in January after receiving more than 1,500 consumer complaints, according to the filings.
FTC 在其民事调查令执行申请中表示，消费者指控 Block 冻结或停用了 Square 账户，导致他们自 2022 年以来无法访问或转出高达 250 万美元的资金。文件指出，即使客户已回答问题以验证银行账户或身份，该公司在收到请求时仍未能提供足够的客户服务支持。
Consumers alleged Block froze or deactivated Square accounts, preventing them from accessing or transferring as much as $2.5 million since 2022, the FTC said in its petition to enforce a civil investigation demand. The company failed to provide adequate customer service help when requested, even after customers responded to questions to verify bank accounts or their identity, according to the filings.
Block 在一份声明中表示：“我们一直与 FTC 的工作人员本着诚意合作，以回应该机构尚未完成的少数几项请求。我们仍致力于与该委员会进行建设性合作，以解决此事。” FTC 尚未立即回应置评请求。
“We have been working in good faith with FTC staff to address the production of responses to the agency’s handful of remaining requests,” Block said in a statement. “We remain committed to working constructively with the commission to bring about the closure of this matter.”The FTC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
尽管法庭文件中的大部分内容已被删减，但 FTC 的投诉书重点提到了 Block 今年 2 月宣布的计划：裁员 4000 人，并将人工智能整合到其运营的几乎所有环节中，以提升业绩。
While much of court documents are redacted, the FTC’s complaint highlighted Block’s February announcement that it planned to lay off 4,000 employees and weave artificial intelligence into almost every aspect of its operations to improve results.
此次裁员引发了公众的指控，称 Block 正在实施所谓的“AI 洗白”——即利用这项新技术作为削减人力的借口，因为公司经营状况不佳。Block 则表示，采用人工智能工具提高了员工的工作效率，同时也使其能够向依赖这项技术的客户提供新产品和服务。
The layoffs led to public allegations that Block was engaged in so-called AI washing — using the new technology as an excuse to reduce headcount because business is going poorly. The company says its embrace of AI tools has made staff more productive, while also allowing Block to offer new products and services to customers that rely on the technology as well.
本案为美国联邦贸易委员会诉Block案，案号26-mc-80299，由美国加州北区（奥克兰）地方法院审理。
The case is FTC v Block, 26-mc-80299, US District Court, Northern District of California (Oakland).