Blog

It’s an annual celebration of the innovative, the audacious, and the avant garde. The Met Gala? Not quite. It’s the FTC’s sixth PrivacyCon, scheduled to convene virtually on July 27, 2021. PrivacyCon brings together researchers, academics, consumer advocates, industry members, and law enforcers to discuss what’s new and noteworthy in data security and consumer privacy. Interested in showcasing your research at PrivacyCon? The FTC just issued a...

To quote studio head Samuel Goldwyn’s famous malaprop, an oral contract isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. The same can be said of a written security policy if a company doesn’t carry out its provisions. A proposed FTC settlement with a Texas technology firm alleges the company created a written “Third Party Vendor Risk Management” policy as part of its obligations under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Safeguards Rule, but didn’t follow through to...

One digit can make a lot of difference. Would the Proclaimers have walked 501 miles? How effective was Love Potion #10? Did the Beatles ask would you still need me, would you still feed me when I’m 65? With so much attention on Section 5 of the FTC Act, some may overlook another important provision of the statute: Section 6(b). The FTC has issued 6(b) orders to nine well-known social media and video streaming platforms seeking information about...

There’s a standard movie trope of a group stranded in the desert. Parched and burned, their spirits soar when they see an oasis on the horizon. With their last ounce of energy, they crawl toward the lush palms and beckoning pool. But as they dip their hands in the water, they realize it was just a mirage. For consumers looking to supplement their income and gain financial independence, promoters’ promises may seem like that oasis on the horizon...

Imagine turning on your computer one morning to discover you and your employees are locked out of your system. A threatening message appears on the screen demanding a ransom if you ever want to see your data again. You check your backups and they’ve been destroyed. Your business is at a standstill, losing money with every passing minute. It may sound like a nightmare, but for many companies, a ransomware attack is all too real. And even more...

If you haven’t been following The 12 Days of Consumer Protection on the FTC’s Consumer Blog, you’re in for a treat. The puns are terrific, the visuals are sharable on social media, and the holiday-themed tips are a thoughtful way to let far-flung friends and family know you’re thinking of them. Searching the internet for that perfect gift? Hawking in a winter wonderland offers advice about online shopping. If someone you know is in a career...

When the job market is tough, scammers target people who are looking for work or trying to bring in extra income. Economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have created ideal conditions for these scams to proliferate. In fact, the volume of reports to the FTC about income scams reached the highest levels on record in the second quarter of 2020. 1 These income scams take many forms. Looming large are phony job offers involving fake...

Cult classic The Big Lebowski proves that mistaken identity can be entertaining on film. But for people looking to rent a house or apartment, it wasn’t so entertaining when tenant background reports about them provided by California company AppFolio included someone else’s convictions and evictions. An FTC settlement that includes a $4.25 million civil penalty reminds businesses like AppFolio of the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s requirement that...

When patients leave the office after an appointment with their eyecare professional, they should have certain things in hand: their coat, their phone – and a copy of their eyeglass prescription. The FTC’s Ophthalmic Practice Rules – otherwise known as the Eyeglass Rule – require prescribers to provide patients a copy of their prescription immediately after an examination to determine the refraction of a patient’s eyes, even if the patient doesn’t...

Earlier this fall, the Commission announced two separate rulemaking initiatives aimed at updating the rules and interpretations that implement the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. After publication of the notice in the Federal Register, the deadline for comments on both initiatives is now set for February 1, 2021. Understanding the breadth of topics and the significance of the proposed changes, we want to encourage a wide range of stakeholders to submit...