Blog

How would we describe PrivacyCon 2020? Is it Burning Man without the flames? The New Orleans Jazz Festival – minus the jazz and the festival? The best way to know what PrivacyCon is all about is to mark your calendar for July 21, 2020, and attend the FTC’s fifth annual gathering of leading privacy researchers. And check out our Call for Presentations to see if PrivacyCon would be a good forum for your recent research. Like its four predecessors...

Wondering what small and midsize businesses (SMBs) think about cybersecurity? Or maybe you work for a small or midsize business that would like to tell someone what you think. Here’s your chance. The Information Technology Sector Coordinating Council (IT SCC) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just released a voluntary survey about SMB cybersecurity practices – and they asked us to help get the word out. The survey is a joint effort...

What’s the future of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule? That’s the subject of today’s FTC workshop. If you’re COPPA-conscious, watch the webcast. The link will go live moments before the 9:00 ET start time.

A savvy business person always wants to know the shape of things to come. We won’t make predictions but, based on the FTC’s case against multi-level marketer AdvoCare International, we will say this: Don’t bet on a business model that looks like a pyramid. The FTC says Texas-based AdvoCare operated a pyramid scheme disguised as a business opportunity and swindled hundreds of thousands of consumers who signed up to be “distributors” of its health...

Technology changes at the speed of light, but the touchstone of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule remains constant. When it comes to the collection of their kids’ personal information online, parents are in charge. But how does that principle apply in technologies not originally anticipated by the COPPA Rule? Whether it’s social media, the Internet of Things, or educational technology, do changes in media and the marketplace...

People sometimes think scams mostly affect older adults, but reports to Consumer Sentinel tell a different story. People in their 20s and 30s, a cohort that roughly tracks the so-called Millennial generation, are 25% more likely to report losing money to fraud than people 40 and over generally, and much more likely to report a loss on certain types of fraud.

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy was told to ignore the man behind the curtain. Some may argue that the same guidance applies to ancillary parts of a merger or joint venture agreement. These can include non-solicitation and non-compete provisions. Even when such provisions are ancillary to an otherwise legitimate business transaction, we will still make a determination that the restraints do not independently violate the antitrust laws by being...

How do consumers interpret “Made in the USA” and other U.S.-origin claims? What can the FTC do to improve its enforcement program? Those are just two of the topics on the table at today’s Made in the USA workshop. FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Andrew Smith will start the discussion at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. It promises to be a fast-paced, content-packed half-day event. Minutes before the start time, you can watch the webcast live...

“ He just emailed you! You caught his eye and now he’s expressed interest in you... Could he be the one?” Don’t get excited just yet, lovebirds. According to an FTC lawsuit, the “he” in question – or the “she” – could be an online scammer that Match Group, Inc., the owner of Match.com, has used to induce consumers to upgrade to paid subscriptions. The lawsuit alleges that many of the likes, favorites, emails, and instant messages that led Match...

You’ve probably seen them on TV: announcements with prominent warnings about FDA actions involving certain prescription drugs or medical devices. But they aren’t official health and safety recalls or alerts from the Food and Drug Administration. They’re something else – and FTC staff has sent letters to some of the people involved. What’s really going on? They’re ads soliciting potential clients for personal injury lawsuits against makers of...