Blog Posts Tagged with Consumer Privacy

“Take out” takes on a whole new meaning when it involves your data. Consumers and industry members are giving more thought to the issue of data portability – the ability of consumers to move data (such as emails, contacts, calendars, financial information, health information, favorites, friends, or content posted on social media) from one service to another or to their own files. That’s the topic of a September 22, 2020, virtual event, Data To Go: An FTC Workshop on Data Portability.

PrivacyCon is going virtual this year. As the just-released agenda for the fifth annual Gathering of the Gurus demonstrates, you’ll want to mark July 21, 2020, on your calendar and watch the webcast for thought-provoking research into topics related to consumer privacy and data security.

The experts who have headlined the FTC’s first four PrivacyCon events are among the innovators whose research has allowed many of us to work remotely in recent months. So there’s a certain symmetry to the FTC’s announcement that the fifth annual PrivacyCon will convene virtually on July 21, 2020.

Between social distancing and COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, companies are turning to video conferencing services to get down to business. While these services help you connect, they also pose new privacy and data security risks. Here are some tips to keep in mind before hosting or joining a video conference online:

If your business makes “smart” devices, you’ll want to read about Tapplock’s settlement with the FTC. It’s one more example of why businesses in the Internet of Things (IoT) space need to think about privacy and security when designing connected products.

Even as we all adjust to day-to-day changes, your work – and the work of the FTC – continues. If you’re a technologist or academic interested in presenting your latest research at the FTC’s PrivacyCon 2020, please let us know by April 10, 2020. Check out the Call for Presentations and respond by the deadline.

We know you’re busy with the business of your business. But we’re hoping for an hour of your time. Why? It’s tax season and tax identity thieves, government imposters, and cyber criminals are out in force. Find out how to help thwart them so you can keep focused on your bottom line.  

They say hindsight is 20/20, but what about foresight? We’re not ones to prognosticate, but a look at notable FTC cases and initiatives from the past year suggests some topics likely to be top of mind in months to come. Here is a non-exhaustive list of issues in our 2019 rearview mirror and likely visible through the 2020 windshield.

You know that eerie feeling that someone is following your every move? If someone secretly installed a “stalking app” or “stalkerware” sold by Retina-X Studios, LLC, onto your mobile device, that strange sensation could be way more than a feeling. A complaint against the developer and marketer alleges violations of the FTC Act and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule.