When normal people use a new app, they don’t wade through hidden service terms. Many just click “OK” and hope for the best. This…
Read MoreResearch
Here’s a draft of the consumer privacy “Bill of Rights” act Obama wants to pass
The White House has released a draft of the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2015. It outlines the steps companies…
Read MoreAT&T charges $29 for privacy. Time for others to do the same
AT&T just rolled out blazing fast fiber-to-home internet service in Kansas City for $70 a month. But there’s a catch: customers who don’t…
Read MoreOracle paid north of $1.2B for Datalogix, says WSJ
Right before Christmas, when [company]Oracle[/company] announced plans to buy Datalogix it didn’t detail price. Now, The Wall Street Journal, (paywall) is filling in the…
Read MoreFTC shuts down “revenge porn” operation, but imposes no fine
In one of the most despicable scams on the internet, Colorado resident Craig Brittain ran a website that posted nude photographs of…
Read MoreFirms may face new $16,500 privacy fines under White House bill
Many consumers have grown resigned to the parade of privacy breaches that occur when apps or big tech companies like Facebook or Google misuse their…
Read MoreYelp says FTC investigation shows its reviews are not fixed
Customer review site Yelp can be a source of stress for small business owners, who fear that a poor ranking or negative…
Read MoreFeds issue final order over Snapchat privacy incidents, but no fine
What do regulators do when a popular app deceives users about photos that “disappear forever” and scrapes their contact list without permission? Not much.…
Read MoreMicrosoft sues fake tech support service, warns of holiday scams
Microsoft filed a lawsuit on Thursday against a bogus tech support service that allegedly used the company’s name to persuade victims, many of…
Read MoreIf your kids bought Candy Crush lives, Google Play may refund you
Google started sent out an email to Google Play customers on Tuesday informing them that they could be eligible for refunds under a recent agreement with the FCC.…
Read MoreFTC shuts down massive “PC cleaner” scam
Every year, tens of thousands of consumers spend millions of dollars on services that purport to "clean" their computers, and protect them from spyware and malware. In reality, many of these services are elaborate scams involving fake tech support and sleazy tele-marketers.…
Read MoreWhy a DC turf war may have played a part in the timing of the FTC’s mobile data lawsuit against AT&T
The FTC's decision to sue AT&T over how it treats customers who are locked into 2010 unlimited data plans is a popular one, but also peculiar.…
Read MoreAT&T swamped with refund demands over “cramming” scam; FTC predicts record number of claims
Over 359,000 AT&T customers have already filled out an online application to obtain refunds from the company, which padded phone bills with suspect SMS charges.…
Read MoreAre Google’s search results deceptive, or can consumers identify ads on their own?
Search engines are making it harder to see the difference between regular results and paid ads. Does the FTC have the power to do something? Or can consumers figure it out on their own?…
Read MoreFeds halt bitcoin mining scam that sold machines like a “room heater”
Thousands of customers who hoped to cash in on soaring bitcoin prices got fleeced by Butterfly Labs, which took their money but failed to deliver promised mining equipment.…
Read MoreParents to get full refund for kids’ app purchases under $19M Google Play settlement
Google will join Apple in compensating parents whose kids ran up purchases in apps without their permission.…
Read MoreGoogle has a growth plan based on kids, report says
What is Google's next growth market? It could be 5-year-olds, which would present both a big opportunity and a big regulatory challenge for the search giant.…
Read MoreConsumer group asks FTC to investigate tech firms and data brokers over Safe Harbor violations
The Center for Digital Democracy has accused 30 companies, including Adobe, AOL and Salesforce.com, of breaking a U.S.-Europe data protection agreement -- and slammed the FTC itself for not properly policing them.…
Read MoreFTC sues Amazon over kids’ app purchases in showdown over agency’s power
Amazon is fighting the government over claims that it let kids buy digital goods without their parents' permission -- even though Apple settled over similar accusations. The court case will be a test of strength for the FTC.…
Read MoreApple prodded FTC to investigate Google over kids’ in-app purchases
Apple ratted out Google to the FTC over policies that let kids make app purchases without entering a password.…
Read MoreFTC approves settlement with countries that allegedly violated U.S.-EU Safe Harbor treaty
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Wednesday approved a final settlement with fourteen companies that allegedly breached the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor treaty, which…
Read MoreFTC report calls for law on data brokers, points to “sensitive” categories on race and health
An FTC investigation into nine big data brokers shows how the companies use inferences to create categories like "Urban Scramble" and "Expectant Parent."…
Read MoreFTC says Snapchat misled users about “disappearing” photos, failed to secure personal data
Snapchat promised users that the photos they send would "disappear forever" -- a promise that turned out not to be true. The FTC responded with a 20 year consent decree.…
Read MoreFTC approves Facebook acquistion of WhatsApp, warns companies to respect privacy promises
In an unusual letter, the FTC warned Facebook to respect existing privacy commitments by WhatsApp, the messaging service it acquired in February.…
Read More