Washington Post: The agency in charge of policing Facebook and Google is 103 years old. Can it modernize?. “Facebook and Google must answer to new cops on the beat — a group of five fresh Washington regulators at the Federal Trade Commission who have the power to punish Silicon Valley if it misbehaves. But veterans of the 103-year-old watchdog say that the agency, without more cash, a more cutting-edge staff and stronger legal teeth, increasingly runs the risk of being outmatched by the very tech giants it oversees.”
FTC
Engadget: FTC makes clear ‘warranty void if removed’ stickers are illegal
Engadget: FTC makes clear ‘warranty void if removed’ stickers are illegal. “Those stickers on gadgets that say you’ll void your warranty if they’re removed? You’ve probably come to expect them whenever you purchase a new device. The FTC has just made clear, however, that those warranty notices are illegal when it fired off warning letters to six companies that market and sell automobiles, mobile devices and video game consoles in the US. It didn’t mention which automakers and tech corporations they are, but since the list includes companies that make video game consoles, Sony and Microsoft could be two of them.”
Washington Post: Facebook could face record fine, say former FTC officials
Washington Post: Facebook could face record fine, say former FTC officials. “Facebook’s disclosure this week that its search tools were used to collect data on most of its 2.2 billion users could potentially trigger record fines and create new legal vulnerability for not having prevented risks to user data, three former federal officials said. The three former officials, all of whom were at the Federal Trade Commission during the privacy investigation that led to a 2011 consent decree with Facebook, said the company’s latest mishap may violate the decree’s provisions requiring the implementation of a privacy program.”
Federal Trade Commission: FTC asking for access to your computer? It’s a scam.
Federal Trade Commission: FTC asking for access to your computer? It’s a scam.. “Scammers pretending to be with the FTC or with FTC refund administrators are calling, asking for remote access to your computer. It’s been reported that the scammers are calling specifically about the FTC’s Advanced Tech Support refund program. Their goal is to make you think you are moments away from getting money that’s owed to you – and, to get the money, all you need to do is allow them to connect to your computer. It’s a scam.”
CNN: Facebook data practices under investigation, FTC confirms
CNN: Facebook data practices under investigation, FTC confirms. “The Federal Trade Commission confirmed in a statement Monday that it is currently investigating Facebook data practices as the company faces new scrutiny from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. ‘The FTC takes very seriously recent press reports raising substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook,’ said Tom Pahl, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. ‘Today, the FTC is confirming that it has an open non-public investigation into these practices.'”
Washington Post: Facebook may have violated FTC privacy deal, say former federal officials, triggering risk of massive fines
Washington Post: Facebook may have violated FTC privacy deal, say former federal officials, triggering risk of massive fines. “Two former federal officials who crafted the landmark consent decree governing how Facebook handles user privacy say the company may have violated that decree when it shared information from tens of millions of users with a data analysis firm that later worked for President Trump’s 2016 campaign. Such a violation, if eventually confirmed by the Federal Trade Commission, could lead to many millions of dollars in fines against Facebook, said David Vladeck, who as the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection oversaw the investigation of alleged privacy violations by Facebook and the subsequent consent decree resolving the case in 2011. He left that position in 2012.”
CNET: Google and Facebook could be in FTC crosshairs
CNET: Google and Facebook could be in FTC crosshairs. “President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Trade Commission told the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday that he’s open to investigating big tech firms like Facebook and Google, should they use their power inappropriately.”
