FTC Releases Much Anticipated Privacy Report, Author to Discuss on CLBR The report was released this morning and we have not had a chance to review it yet, but the FTC press release indicates that the report expands on a preliminary staff report the FTC issued in December 2010 by calling on companies handling consumer data…
FTC Nabs Fake News Affiliate Marketers As part of its ongoing crackdown on fake news sites to promote acai berry and other products (see exhibit left), the FTC entered into a consent decree with Intermark Communications (d/b/a Copeac) for using fake news sites to promote its products. According to the FTC Press Release: Copeac not…
GOOGLE KICKS THE HORNETS NEST WITH NEW PRIVACY POLICY FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Google’s roll-out of a new privacy policy effective March 1, 2012, combined with the launch of the Google Search Plus Your World program (which merges Google+ with Google Search results) earlier this month, has created a torrent of criticism across the…
TOP STORIES OF 2011 #1 AMAZON WARS 2010 ended with the Amazon Tax in effect in three states totally approximately ten percent of the population and GDP. With the addition of Arkansas, Calfornia, Connecticut, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Vermont the tax has some applicability in states which comprise about 1/3 of the population and GDP the…
This one needs no explanation. But here is an excerpt from the FTC’s release nonetheless. “Acne Cure” Mobile App Marketers Will Drop Baseless Claims Under FTC Settlements Marketers who advertised that their smartphone applications could treat acne have agreed to stop making baseless claims in order to settle FTC charges. The mobile applications, commonly referred…
IN THE COURTS Zip and Spam California Supreme Court Rules Zip Codes Are Private The Song-Beverly Credit Card prohibits a retailer from requiring or requesting that a consumer provide certain personal information. In a surprise decision, the Supreme Court held that a consumer’s zip code fell within the reach of the statute. As there are…
FTC RELEASES PRIVACY REPORT CALLING FOR DO NOT TRACK OPTION ACTION LIKELY ON PRIVACY IN 2011 The Federal Trade Commission released its much anticipated staff report on privacy following its 2009-2010 privacy round-tables with all attention going to its call for a Do Not Track (“DNT”) System. Unlike earlier DNT proposals which called for…
FTC Tags Reverb Communications for Astroturfing Public Relations firm Reverb Communications became one of the first companies to enter a consent decree under the new FTC Blogger Endorsement Guidelines after the FTC charged it with using its employees to post favorable reviews for clients. Under the consent decree, Reverb and its owner must remove any…
FTC Trial Hindenburg: Tax ISP Access to Save Newspapers In one of the greatest examples of a lead trial balloon in recent memory, an FTC staff report raised the possibility of imposing taxes to subsidize the newspaper industry. Bennet Kelley and veteran journalist Len Lazarick (who recently was the Annapolis correspondent for the Baltimore Examiner…
FTC UPDATE: NEW COMMISSIONERS, FREE CREDIT REPORT RULES AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS Senate Confirms New Commissioners The Senate confirmed Julie Brill and Edith Ramirez to serve a seven-year term as Commissioners replacing former FTC Chairwoman Majoras and Commissioner Jones-Harbour who steps down on April 6th. Commissioner Brill has been very active in consumer privacy issues and…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seems to be at the center of most major internet issues with its recently released and heavily criticized guide for endorsements by bloggers; the Red Flags Rule, the upcoming privacy town hall which will revive the debate over further privacy regulation (especially with respect to behavioral targeting) and the pending…
Q1: What is the Red Flags Rule? Rules implementing the identity theft provisions of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of2003 by requiring financial institutions and creditors to evaluate potential identity theft red flags and establish a program to address them. Q2: Why should I care if my business is not a financial institution?…
From 9/21 Cyber Report Last week the Federal Trade Commission announced that beginning on Dec. 7th, it will hold the first in a series of three public round tables to discuss the growth of social networking, cloud computing, online and advertising marketing with a goal towards determining “how best to protect consumer privacy while supporting…
Cyber Report 