Security Magazine: FTC launches new online tool for exploring military consumer data. “The Federal Trade Commission launched a new tool that explores data about problems military consumers may experience in the marketplace. For the first time, data about reports the FTC has received from active duty service members and veterans will be available online in an interactive dashboard.”
FTC
CNET: Pandemic purchases lead to surge in online shopping complaints, FTC says
CNET: Pandemic purchases lead to surge in online shopping complaints, FTC says. “As people rushed to buy supplies online during the coronavirus pandemic, not all shoppers got what they ordered, the US Federal Trade Commission said in a blog post Wednesday. Online shopping complaints about goods that never arrived surged in April and May, said the FTC.”
Bloomberg Quint: Google, Facebook Would Face FTC Over Policies in Democratic Bill
Bloomberg Quint: Google, Facebook Would Face FTC Over Policies in Democratic Bill. “A top Democratic lawmaker wants to empower the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to take action against Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc., among other technology platforms, if they fail to remove content that violates their terms of service and community standards.”
CNET: FTC warns of COVID-19 contact tracing text message scams
CNET: FTC warns of COVID-19 contact tracing text message scams. “The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday warned the public about scammers taking advantage of contact tracing to steal your information. Contact tracers are generally hired by a state’s department of public health. If a tracer contacts you, they won’t ask for personal information. If the person contacting you is asking for money or sensitive information like your Social Security number, bank account or credit card number, it’s a scam.”
The Verge: The FTC is cracking down on influencer marketing on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok
The Verge: The FTC is cracking down on influencer marketing on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. “Commissioner Rohit Chopra called for tougher penalties on companies that disguise advertising on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok as authentic reviews in a statement sent out Wednesday. The statement came after the FTC voted 5-0 to approve a Federal Register notice that would seek public comment on whether Endorsement Guides for advertising (which haven’t been updated since 2009) need to be reviewed, according to TechCrunch.”
CNET: FTC orders Apple, Google, other tech giants to hand over acquisition info
CNET: FTC orders Apple, Google, other tech giants to hand over acquisition info. “The US Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that it sent special orders to five tech giants — Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft — requiring them to turn over detailed information about past acquisitions. The FTC said it’ll review the information to ‘examine trends in acquisitions,’ including how firms report transactions and whether companies are making potentially anticompetitive moves.”
The Verge: Unroll.me settles with FTC after falsely claiming it didn’t collect and sell email data
The Verge: Unroll.me settles with FTC after falsely claiming it didn’t collect and sell email data. “Before this year’s blockbuster Superhuman scandal, in which the email app maker was caught providing a non-consensual read receipt feature to its users, there was the Unroll.me controversy. It erupted two years ago, when it was discovered the popular email cleanup tool was collecting information on user purchases and handing it over to its parent company, Slice Technologies, to sell as part of an analytics tool.”
The Next Web: FTC might put the brakes on Facebook’s plans to merge messaging apps
The Next Web: FTC might put the brakes on Facebook’s plans to merge messaging apps. “A new report suggests the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) might file an injunction against Facebook, to keep it from integrating its messaging apps together. Doing so might make it harder to break up the company — which the FTC is reportedly considering.”
FTC: Robocaller could be fined $10 million
CNET: Robocaller could be fined $10 million. “The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has suggested a robocall telemarketer be fined almost $10 million, after an investigation found he spoofed a competitor’s phone number to spread misinformation about a candidate during California’s 2018 primary election.”
Tubefilter: YouTube Asks The FTC To Give Creators Clearer COPPA Guidelines Ahead Of Jan. 1 Enforcement
Tubefilter: YouTube Asks The FTC To Give Creators Clearer COPPA Guidelines Ahead Of Jan. 1 Enforcement. “YouTube has contacted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in an apparent attempt to mitigate the potential income losses and legal trouble creators could suffer if a COPPAcalypse comes to pass. What’s a COPPAcalypse? Well, it all stems from YouTube’s recent $170 million settlement with the FTC, where the agency determined there is an unknown number of children under the age of 13 watching content on YouTube with accounts that appear to belong to users over 13. This means they’re being treated as if they’re over 13 — so, their personal data is being collected and then (primarily) used to deliver personalized ads, which is a blatant violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, aka COPPA.”
The Verge: FTC officially rules that Cambridge Analytica deceived Facebook users
The Verge: FTC officially rules that Cambridge Analytica deceived Facebook users. “In July, the FTC accused the consulting company, as well as CEO Alexander Nix and app developer Aleksandr Kogan, of collecting data on tens of millions of Facebook users through a personality-testing app. The news, first revealed in 2018, upended Facebook and led to a congressional appearance by Mark Zuckerberg. The FTC previously settled the case with Nix and Kogan, and today voted unanimously to formally call the company’s practices deceptive.”
FTC: FTC Issues Rules For Disclosure Of Ads By Social Media Influencers
FTC: FTC Issues Rules For Disclosure Of Ads By Social Media Influencers. “Open up Instagram, and there’s a big chance you’ll come across a post about an influencer’s experience with a new lotion or a fancy restaurant. At the very bottom of the post, there’s a hashtag, #ad, to divulge that you just read a paid endorsement. That’s not enough, the Federal Trade Commission says, in a publication released Tuesday.”
The Register: Top American watchdog refuses to release infamous 2012 dossier into Google’s anti-competitive behavior
The Register: Top American watchdog refuses to release infamous 2012 dossier into Google’s anti-competitive behavior . “The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has refused to release an infamous report into Google’s anti-competitive behavior, claiming that staff reports are exempt from America’s Freedom of Information Act.”
New York Times: The Government Protects Our Food and Cars. Why Not Our Data?
New York Times: The Government Protects Our Food and Cars. Why Not Our Data?. “…the United States is virtually the only developed nation without a comprehensive consumer data protection law and an independent agency to enforce it. Instead, Americans have to rely on the Federal Trade Commission, an overstretched agency with limited powers, to police privacy as a side hustle. The regulatory void has left Americans at the mercy of digital services that have every reason to exploit our personal information and little incentive to safeguard it.”
CNET: FTC cracks down on companies for deceptive online marketing practices
CNET: FTC cracks down on companies for deceptive online marketing practices. “The Federal Trade Commission uncovered and stopped the misleading online marketing tactics of two different companies, it announced Monday.”
