FTC sues data broker over selling location data that can reveal abortion clinic visits

The lawsuit against Kochava follows a Biden administration request that the agency use its authorities to protect reproductive privacy.

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Federal privacy legislation progresses, but concerns about data brokers loom

The latest version of the legislation still leaves loopholes for abuses of data including reproductive health data.

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Biden executive order calls for reproductive health privacy protections

It’s not the first time Biden has used executive authorities to push for privacy policies.

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Regulators slam Twitter with $150M fine over using consumer security data for advertising

The practice violates federal law and a 2011 order from the FTC, which alleged Twitter’s failure to safeguard user data led to two breaches.

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FTC warns it will go after ed tech companies misusing children’s data

The crackdown comes as lawmakers look to update children’s privacy protections.

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FTC settlement requires CafePress owners to pay $500,000 to victims of 2019 data breach

The commission accused the company of covering up the hack.

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FTC, DOJ settle with WW weight loss app, citing violation of children’s privacy

The Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department slapped a children’s weight loss app with a $1.5 million penalty and an order to delete data it collected on thousands of children under 13 allegedly without proper parental consent. The complaint from the FTC and DOJ alleges that Kurbo by WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) failed to properly verify parental consent for users under 13 and made it easy for hundreds of users who identified as 13 or older during the signup process to then later change their age in the app. It also alleges the app didn’t properly notify parents who signed up on their children’s behalf about the extent of the data collected by the app. Both practices, the FTC said, violate a decades-old federal children’s privacy law for users under 13 known as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). “Weight Watchers and Kurbo marketed weight management services for […]

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Biden to push for strengthening children’s privacy in State of the Union address

President Biden will urge Congress to strengthen children’s privacy protections in his State of the Union address Tuesday, following growing concerns about the potential mental health impact online platforms cause children — an issue that Congress has repeatedly hauled in tech giants to address in hearings in recent months. A fact sheet released prior to the speech grouped the initiative into four distinct calls to action: banning targeted advertising for children, prioritizing safety design standards for online platforms, stopping discriminatory algorithmic decision-making and investing at least $5 million in fiscal year 2023 toward research on social media’s effects on mental health. “The President believes not only that we should have far stronger protections for children’s data and privacy, but that the platforms and other interactive digital service providers should be required to prioritize and ensure the health, safety and well-being of children and young people above profit and revenue in […]

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Online romance scams expand, now with more cryptocurrency

Reports of online romance scams continued to grow in 2021, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and cryptocurrency payments now represent a big chunk of the money lost. Complaints about these heartbreaking swindles added up to $547 million overall last year, the agency said Thursday, up about 80 percent from the $307 million reported to the FTC in 2020. Of that total, $139 million in reported losses came from cryptocurrency transactions. In those cases, the victims often are subjected to a fancier plea for money than what typically occurs in a romance scam. “People are led to believe their new online companion is a successful investor who, before long, casually offers investment advice,” the FTC said. “These so-called investment opportunities often involve foreign exchange (forex) trading or cryptocurrency.” The spike in cryptocurrency-oriented complaints is dramatic. The 2021 numbers “are nearly five times those reported in 2020, and more than 25 […]

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