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FTC Actions Posts
FTC to Search Engines: Distinguish Paid Search Results or Risk FTC Action
Jun 30, 2013
FTC to Search Engines: Distinguish Paid Search Results or Risk FTC Action
While Google is already subject to commitments it made to the FTC regarding the requirement to afford advertisers non-discriminatory access to its search engine, the FTC’s latest guidance makes clear that Google and other search engines must also maintain clear disclosures to the public about sponsored content in search results. On June 24, 2013, in…
Wyndham Case Challenges FTC’s Authority Over Cybersecurity
Jun 12, 2013
Wyndham Case Challenges FTC’s Authority Over Cybersecurity
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…
FTC: Data Brokers That Compile Tenant Data May Be Covered by FCRA
May 2, 2013
FTC: Data Brokers That Compile Tenant Data May Be Covered by FCRA
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…
FTC, Rent-to-Own Stores Settle Charges of Spying on Consumers Via Rented Computers
Apr 26, 2013
FTC, Rent-to-Own Stores Settle Charges of Spying on Consumers Via Rented Computers
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…
What’s That Charge on My Mobile Phone Bill? The FTC Wants to Know
Apr 25, 2013
What’s That Charge on My Mobile Phone Bill? The FTC Wants to Know
“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…
A Q&A With Jeff Ifrah on the FTC’s Latest Draconian Tactics
Apr 23, 2013
A Q&A With Jeff Ifrah on the FTC’s Latest Draconian Tactics
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…
FTC Revises Online Advertising Disclosure Guidelines: Say It and Say It Clearly
Mar 15, 2013
FTC Revises Online Advertising Disclosure Guidelines: Say It and Say It Clearly
This week, the FTC released updated guidance to its 2000 “Dot Com Disclosures,” a guide covering disclosures in online advertising. The online world has certainly changed in 13 years, and the new guidelines, available here, cover advances in online advertising, including mobile advertising. One central theme still prevails: existing consumer protection laws and rules apply no…
Web Analytics Firm Settles FTC Charges Over Intrusive Data Tracking
Mar 12, 2013
Web Analytics Firm Settles FTC Charges Over Intrusive Data Tracking
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced that it has approved a final order settling charges against Compete, Inc., a Boston-based web analytics company. Compete, Inc. sells reports on consumer browsing behavior to clients looking to drive more traffic to their websites and increase sales. Compete, Inc. obtained the information by getting consumers to install the…
FTC Remains Tough on ‘Robocalls’ with New Enforcement Case
Feb 27, 2013
FTC Remains Tough on ‘Robocalls’ with New Enforcement Case
Once again, the FTC has completed a major enforcement action against the illegal use of robocalls, a form of prerecorded, computerized telemarketing calls. This time, the action resulted in a $1.1 million civil penalty against Roy M. Cox, an individual whom the FTC considered to be the architect of an illegal robocall operation. The FTC…
Blood Bank Settles FTC Complaint About Customer Data Privacy
Feb 8, 2013
Blood Bank Settles FTC Complaint About Customer Data Privacy
Any company that collects personal information about individuals, such as credit card numbers and social security numbers, must be very careful about the way in which it stores and secures that information. Even a blood bank that stores umbilical cord blood needs to keep these privacy rules in clear view. That is one of the…
