The director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection notified Facebook and WhatsApp about their obligations to protect the privacy of their users in light of Facebook’s proposed acquisition of WhatsApp. In a letter to the two companies, Bureau Director Jessica Rich noted that WhatsApp has made clear privacy promises to consumers, and […]
Monthly Archives: April 2014
FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges Against Flashlight App Creator
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges against Goldenshores Technologies, LLC, and its owner, Erik Geidl. According to the FTC’s complaint, the company created a popular flashlight app for Android devices that the FTC charged deceived consumers with a privacy policy that did not reflect the […]
FTC Warns Small Businesses: Don’t Open Email Falsely Claiming to be From FTC
The Federal Trade Commission is warning small businesses that an email with a subject line “Pending consumer complaint” is not from the FTC. The email falsely states that a complaint has been filed with the agency against their company. The FTC advises recipients not to click on any of the links or attachments with the […]
Two Data Brokers Settle FTC Charges That They Sold Consumer Data Without Complying With Protections Required Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
Two data brokers have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by providing reports about consumers to users such as prospective employers and landlords without taking reasonable steps to make sure that they were accurate, or without making sure their users had a permissible reason to […]
FTC Approves Final Consent Settling Charges that L’Occitane, Inc. Misled Consumers to Believe that Creams Could Slim Their Bodies
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final consent order settling charges that beauty products and cosmetics marketer L’Occitane violated the Federal Trade Commission Act with claims about the slimming properties of its Almond Beautiful Shape and Almond Shaping Delight skin creams. First announced in January 2014, the settlement with […]
FTC Requests Public Comments on SCI’s Applications to Approve Sale of Funeral Assets in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Maryland
The Federal Trade Commission is currently accepting public comments on three applications by Service Corporation International (SCI) to sell certain funeral and cemetery assets, as required under the FTC’s December 2013 proposed order settling charges that SCI’s acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. would be anticompetitive. In total, the proposed order requires the combined SCI/Stewart to […]
FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges That N.E.W. Plastics’ Environmental Claims for its Plastic Lumber Products Were Misleading
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final consent order settling charges that N.E.W. Plastics Corp., a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of plastic lumber products, misled consumers and distributors about the recycled content, post-consumer recycled content, and recyclability of its products. The FTC’s February 2014 complaint alleges that between September 2012 and […]
FTC Charges Operators of “Jerk.com” Website With Deceiving Consumers
The Federal Trade Commission charged the operators of the website “Jerk.com” with harvesting personal information from Facebook to create profiles labeling people a “Jerk” or “not a Jerk,” then falsely claiming that consumers could revise their online profiles by paying $30. According to the FTC’s complaint, between 2009 and 2013 the defendants, Jerk, LLC and […]
Technology Outsourcing: Informational Tools for Community Bankers
FIL-13-2014 April 7, 2014 Technology Outsourcing: Informational Tools for Community Bankers Printable Format: FIL-13-2014 – PDF (PDF Help) Summary: The three attached FDIC Technology Outsourcing documents are being re-issued as an informational resource to community banks on how to select service providers, draft contract terms, and oversee multiple service providers when outsourcing for technology products […]
FTC Approves Final Orders Settling Charges that Two Professional Associations Restrained Competition Among Members through their Codes of Ethics
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved separate final consent orders settling charges that two professional associations restrained competition among their members in violation of the FTC Act. The FTC first announced proposed consent orders with each association on December 16, 2013. The Music Teachers National Association, Inc. (MTNA) represents over […]