FTC Beat

Wyndham Case Challenges FTC’s Authority Over Cybersecurity

IfrahPeople — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:10:48 +0000

Over the past decade the Federal Trade Commission has brought cybersecurity enforcement actions against various private companies, imposing tens of millions of dollars in monetary penalties and requiring companies to maintain more stringent data-security practices. No company has ever challenged the FTC’s authority to regulate cybersecurity in this way in court – until now. On [...]

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‘Marketplace Fairness Act’ Would Change Tax Game for Online Retailers

IfrahPeople — Fri, 31 May 2013 19:26:55 +0000

On May 6, 2013, the U.S. Senate passed the “Marketplace Fairness Act,” which allows states to collect sales tax on online purchases, whether or not the online retailer has a physical presence in the state. If this bill becomes law, it would change the structure that has been in place since the 1992 Supreme Court [...]

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FTC Serves Notice on App Developers About Children’s Privacy

IfrahPeople — Tue, 28 May 2013 14:36:01 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission has made it quite clear that it is serious about advising mobile app developers that the rules of the road will be changing very soon. Since 2011, the Commission has been working to update the rules governing the collection of children’s personal information by mobile apps. The relevant law is the [...]

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FTC: Data Brokers That Compile Tenant Data May Be Covered by FCRA

IfrahPeople — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:33:52 +0000

On April 3, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission issued a press release that marks yet another step in its continuing trend of actions involving data brokers and data providers. As we have noted in earlier blog posts, the agency is making a concerted effort on a number of fronts to enforce the laws that protect [...]

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FTC, Rent-to-Own Stores Settle Charges of Spying on Consumers Via Rented Computers

IfrahPeople — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:47:49 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission recently approved nine final orders that settle charges against seven rent-to-own stores and a software design firm and its principals. The charges stemmed from shocking allegations that the companies spied on consumers using computers that the consumers had rented from them. Among other things, the Commission’s complaint alleged that the computers [...]

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What’s That Charge on My Mobile Phone Bill? The FTC Wants to Know

IfrahPeople — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:28:07 +0000

“Cramming” – while it sounds like the experience of being in the middle row of a cross-country flight – actually refers to unauthorized charges on phone bills. Residential and business telecommunications customers have experienced cramming on their wireline bills for years, particularly for premium and other pay-per-call services. And the FTC has brought nearly two [...]

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A Q&A With Jeff Ifrah on the FTC’s Latest Draconian Tactics

IfrahPeople — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:23:17 +0000

Some lawyers who deal regularly with the Federal Trade Commission in investigations of allegedly false and deceptive online advertising have noticed that the agency is beginning to take steps in these investigations that are unprecedented and draconian – and that judges seem to be going along. Below is a set of questions and answers with [...]

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A Cautionary Tale: EU Probing Google for Possible Privacy Violations

IfrahPeople — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:20:23 +0000

The increasing difficulties faced by internet providers and data gatherers in the international realm have yet again come to the fore. Privacy regulators in France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Italy have banded together to investigate whether to fine Google for what they perceive to be violations of European Union privacy laws. [...]

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FTC Points to Key Issues in New World of Mobile Payments

IfrahPeople — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 18:43:10 +0000

Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission released a staff report outlining key issues facing consumers and companies as they adopt mobile payment services, entitled “Paper, Plastic . . . or Mobile? An FTC Workshop on Mobile Payments.” The report is based on a workshop held by the FTC in 2012 to examine the mobile [...]

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Google Settles Another Privacy Allegation — This One Concerning Its ‘Street View’

IfrahPeople — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:15:32 +0000

Google recently agreed to a settlement after a three-year investigation conducted by 38 state attorneys general stemming for allegations that it had violated individuals’ privacy rights when it collected information from unsecured wireless networks while Google was engaged in its Street View mapping project. Full text of the settlement is available here. Google used special [...]

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FTC Beat

Wyndham Case Challenges FTC’s Authority Over Cybersecurity

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‘Marketplace Fairness Act’ Would Change Tax Game for Online Retailers

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FTC Serves Notice on App Developers About Children’s Privacy

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FTC: Data Brokers That Compile Tenant Data May Be Covered by FCRA

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FTC, Rent-to-Own Stores Settle Charges of Spying on Consumers Via Rented Computers

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What’s That Charge on My Mobile Phone Bill? The FTC Wants to Know

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A Q&A With Jeff Ifrah on the FTC’s Latest Draconian Tactics

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A Cautionary Tale: EU Probing Google for Possible Privacy Violations

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FTC Points to Key Issues in New World of Mobile Payments

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Google Settles Another Privacy Allegation — This One Concerning Its ‘Street View’

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