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World desk3 min

FTC Investigates Block Over Support for Users With Frozen Accounts

The FTC is investigating Block’s handling of frozen and deactivated accounts. Its court petition seeks documents; it is not a finding of wrongdoing.
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The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Block provided adequate help to people whose accounts were frozen or deactivated, according to Bloomberg Law. The agency has asked a federal court to compel Block to provide documents. That request is part of an investigation—not a court finding that Block broke the law.

What the FTC is investigating

Bloomberg Law reported on October 8, 2026, that the FTC began investigating Block in 2025 and sent the company a records demand in January 2026. The agency’s inquiry concerns customer service for people whose accounts were frozen or deactivated, amid substantial staffing cuts, Bloomberg reported. The report says the FTC’s demand followed more than 1,500 consumer complaints; that is a count reported from agency filings, not a set of adjudicated findings. Bloomberg Law

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Block is the parent company of Square and Cash App. Quartz, citing Bloomberg, reported that some allegations described in the petition concern Square account holders who could not reach their funds, including people who had completed identity and bank verification. The court documents are partly redacted, so the public reporting does not provide a complete account of the underlying allegations. Quartz

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What the court filing does—and does not—mean

Quartz identifies the matter as FTC v. Block, case 26-mc-80299, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland. The FTC petition asks the court to order Block to produce documents. It is a procedural request, not a decision on whether the allegations are true. Quartz

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  • The filing does not establish that a judge has granted the petition.
  • It does not mean the FTC has completed its investigation or reached a conclusion.
  • It is not a finding that Block violated consumer-protection law.

The FTC’s eventual conclusion, the court’s handling of the petition, and the full contents of the redacted material are not established in the available reporting.

What Block has said

In a statement reproduced by Quartz, Block said: “We have been working in good faith with FTC staff to address the production of responses to the agency’s handful of remaining requests.” The company added: “We remain committed to working constructively with the commission to bring about the closure of this matter.” Quartz reported, citing Bloomberg, that the FTC did not respond to a request for comment. Quartz

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How this differs from the CFPB’s Cash App order

A separate Consumer Financial Protection Bureau consent order, filed January 16, 2025, concerns Cash App—not the FTC’s investigation into Block and the Square account complaints described in the later reporting. The order sets requirements for Cash App customer support and account restrictions; it should not be treated as proof about the FTC’s allegations or as a rule governing Square in this inquiry. CFPB consent order

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Customer support and account restrictions

The CFPB order requires live support capable of receiving and resolving or escalating account problems, including freezes, suspensions, and blocks. It specifies round-the-clock live support, with human voice support available at least 12 hours a day and human chat at least 18 hours a day. When an account is restricted, Cash App must generally provide written notice within 24 hours explaining the reason and how to appeal, subject to a law-enforcement exception. The order sets a 10-business-day period to grant or deny an appeal.

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Notices of error

For notices of error, the order requires a prompt, thorough, and reasonable investigation. Cash App must report the results within three business days after completing the investigation and correct an error within one business day after determining that one occurred. If the investigation cannot be completed within 10 business days, the order requires provisional credit, subject to its terms.

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What account holders can take from the reporting

The FTC matter is about whether Block’s support for users with frozen or deactivated accounts was adequate; the public reporting does not establish that a particular customer will recover funds or that the FTC has found a violation. For Cash App restrictions, the separate CFPB order sets the notice and appeal requirements described above. The reported FTC petition concerns document production, so its outcome does not itself resolve an individual account dispute.

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