ValueClick (parent company of Commission Junction, Hi-Speed Media, Webclients, etc) has announced a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission regarding past practices by Hi-Speed media:

The FTC alleged that the Company utilized deceptive marketing practices that violated the CAN-SPAM Act and FTC Act. In an effort to resolve this matter, ValueClick agreed to a settlement payment of $2.9 million without an admission of liability or conceding that the Company violated any laws. In addition, the Company and the FTC have agreed on the standards that will govern its lead generation business.

The settlement is based solely on the past practices of the Company's Hi-Speed Media division and not WebClients or any other ValueClick subsidiary, and is subject to approval by the Department of Justice and the presiding court.

Earlier this week, SeekingAlpha (once again) raised the issue of a possible ValueClick acquisition by a larger entity (Microsoft, Google, etc) and cited the ongoing FTC discussions as a roadblock to potential deals.