News

• Q&A: What the FTC recommendations mean for online privacy

  By Brad Reed | 29 March, 2012 08:29

  The Federal Trade Commission this week released its final report on online consumer privacy that recommended implementing a universal "Do Not Track" standard, a centralized website for data brokers and more.

• FTC's online privacy report: Breaking down the recommendations

  By Brad Reed | 27 March, 2012 08:27

  The Federal Trade Commission's final report on online consumer privacy can be summed up thusly: We've made progress but there's still a lot of work to do.

• Identity theft reporting system needs improvements, victims say

  By Michael Cooney | 14 March, 2012 01:30

  Unwanted pressure to buy protection services from credit reporting agencies and the inability to speak to a live person when reporting an identity theft situation were the two most annoying issues victims identified in a Federal Trade Commission report issued on the growing problem this week.

• FTC warns background screening mobile apps may be unlawful

  By Michael Cooney | 08 February, 2012 05:26

  The Federal Trade Commission this week said it sent letters to six unidentified mobile applications makers warning them that their background screening apps may be violating federal statutes.

• Social networking, ignorance, and apathy

  By Mark Gibbs | 09 December, 2011 05:45

  There's an old joke: What's the difference between ignorance and apathy? Answer: I don't know and I don't care.

• Intel may settle FTC antitrust complaint

  By Nancy Gohring | 22 June, 2010 09:05

  Intel may be close to settling the antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission late last year.

• US FTC cracks down on spyware seller

  By Robert McMillan | 03 June, 2010 10:57

  The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with Florida spyware vendor CyberSpy Software, two years after suing the company for selling "100 percent undetectable" keylogging software.

• FTC won't oppose Google's acquisition of AdMob

  By Grant Gross | 25 May, 2010 03:22

  The U.S. Federal Trade Commission won't block Google's US$750 million acquisition of mobile advertising vendor AdMob because the deal isn't likely to harm competition in the emerging mobile advertising market, the agency said Friday.

• US FTC asked to investigate Google Wi-Fi 'snooping'

  By Robert McMillan | 18 May, 2010 10:13

  A consumer group has called on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google after the search company revealed that it had been collecting people's Internet communications from open wireless networks.

• US lawmakers ask for FTC investigation of Google Buzz

  By Grant Gross | 30 March, 2010 06:43

  Eleven U.S. lawmakers have asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google's launch of its Buzz social-networking product for breaches of consumer privacy.

• Apple's iPad marketing sparks complaint

  By Stephen Lawson | 01 February, 2010 06:21

  Apple's iPad, announced Wednesday, has already led to one complaint to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in which a consumer charged Apple with false advertising by showing Adobe Flash working on the device.

• Privacy groups bring Facebook complaints to FTC

  By Robert McMillan | 18 December, 2009 07:18

  Ten privacy and consumer groups, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), filed a complaint Thursday with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, saying that Facebook's newly revamped privacy settings are deceptive and unfair.

• Company selling 'free' Web auction kits settles with FTC

  By Grant Gross | 20 November, 2009 07:55

  An online marketer offering supposedly free Internet auction kits has settled a complaint filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for charging consumers US$59.95 a month for enrollment in an "online-supplier" program, the FTC said Thursday.

• ChoicePoint to pay $275,000 for second data breach

  By Grant Gross | 20 October, 2009 09:28

  Data broker ChoicePoint, the victim of a 2004 data breach affecting more than 160,000 U.S. residents, has agreed to strengthen its data security efforts and pay to compensate potential victims of identity theft for a second breach in 2008, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said Monday.

• US FTC tells bloggers to disclose payments, freebies for reviews

  By Sharon Gaudin | 06 October, 2009 05:54

  Some bloggers may soon have some fessing up to do.