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FTC Adds COPPA Violations to the Growing List of Privacy Concerns While TikTok is on the Clock
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August 13, 2024
FTC Adds COPPA Violations to the Growing List of Privacy Concerns While TikTok is on the Clock
By: Jordan Briggs
For years now, TikTok has seemed to be the center of attention. From viral baking content to true crime to dancing videos to family-influencer content, everyone seems to be on it or talking about it. And the FTC has said that’s part of the problem. On August 2, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) brought a suit on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) against TikTok, its parent company ByteDance, and affiliated companies for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) by collecting and using personal information from children under 13 years old without notifying and obtaining parental consent. Since 2000, COPPA has required websites directed to children or for which the “operator has actual knowledge that it is…
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Chevron Overruling Sparks Regulatory Uncertainty Across Industries
July 10, 2024
Chevron Overruling Sparks Regulatory Uncertainty Across Industries
By: Jake Gray
A landmark decision by the Supreme Court overruled 40-year precedent that provided the bedrock for modern federal agency rulemaking and administration. In Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024), alongside its companion case Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, the Supreme Court overruled Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (1984), holding that deference to an agency’s interpretation of the statute is inconsistent with…
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
July 8, 2024
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
By: Nicole Kardell
Note the below chart was updated on July 8, 2024 to reflect recent developments. The number of U.S. states that have adopted privacy laws grows regularly. Fortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of crossover, at least when it comes to thresholds that companies must meet in order to trigger compliance requirements. We provide below a chart that summarizes these thresholds by state, including…
After Google Action, Those Who Dig for Dirt Must Dig a Little Harder
October 14, 2013
After Google Action, Those Who Dig for Dirt Must Dig a Little Harder
By: Jeffrey Hamlin
Google recently announced that it would be taking action to demote websites that profit from the use of mugshot photos. These mugshot sites compile booking photographs taken after people’s arrests and publish them along with the arrestees’ names and information concerning the charges against them. Individuals who want their mugshot and arrest record deleted from the site usually must pay a fee ranging anywhere from…
CFPB Shows It’s a Tough New Cop on the Beat With Case Against Payment Processor
October 7, 2013
CFPB Shows It’s a Tough New Cop on the Beat With Case Against Payment Processor
By: Michelle Cohen
On October 3, 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced it had filed a complaint in federal district court in Washington state against a leading debt-settlement payment processor, Meracord LLC, and its CEO. The CFPB contends that Meracord helped third parties collect millions of dollars in illegal upfront fees from consumers. The complaint alleged violations of the Federal Trade Commission’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) and…
How to Break the Federal Debt-Collection Law — By Texting
October 4, 2013
How to Break the Federal Debt-Collection Law — By Texting
By: Steven Eichorn
It’s quite clear that the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission view existing federal consumer protection and communications statutes as fully applicable to new modes of communication such as texting. One excellent recent example is the FTC’s stipulated settlement, including a payment of $1 million, with a debt collection agency that had sent out text messages in order to collect debts. The FTC…
FTC Takes First Enforcement Action on ‘Internet of Things’
September 29, 2013
FTC Takes First Enforcement Action on ‘Internet of Things’
By: Ifrah Law
A company that markets video cameras that are designed to allow consumers to monitor their homes remotely has agreed to settle charges with the FTC that it failed to properly protect consumers’ privacy. This marks the FTC’s first enforcement action against a marketer of a product with connectivity to the Internet and other mobile devices, commonly referred to as the “Internet of Things.” The FTC’s…
Appeals Court Rules TCPA Does Not Violate First Amendment
September 16, 2013
Appeals Court Rules TCPA Does Not Violate First Amendment
By: Ifrah Law
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently ruled that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) does not violate the First Amendment by requiring robocallers to identify themselves when making calls. Three months before the Maryland gubernatorial election in 2010, political consultant Julius Henson and his company Universal Elections, Inc., were hired to assist with efforts for the Republican candidate. On Election Day,…
