Mobile Health Apps and the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule: New Enforcement Initiative Coming
Mobile health apps are growing in popularity and their number is increasing every year. Many of us find it convenient to use an app to schedule medical appointments, check medical records,...
FTC Warns Companies of Enforcement for Failing to Patch Log4j Vulnerability
In what I would describe as an unusual but interesting move by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), on January 4, 2022, it issued a warning to companies “to remediate Log4j security...
Privacy Tip #312 -Impersonation Fraud Increased During Pandemic
Another fall-out from the pandemic is that impersonation fraud has increased dramatically. According to the Federal Trade Commission, “the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a sharp spike in impersonation fraud, as scammers...
Privacy Tip #310 – Gift Card Scams Rampant During the Holiday Season
Gift card scams continue to be one of the most frequently-reported scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). According to its recent Scam Alert entitled Scammers are tricking more people into...
FTC Releases Guidance on Negative Option Marketing
The Federal Trade Commission released a new enforcement policy statement on October 28, 2021, targeting the practice known as “Negative Option Marketing.” Negative Option Marketing is the practice of taking consumers’...
Federal Trade Commission Amends Safeguards Rule for Non-Banking Financial Institutions
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a Final Rule on October 27, 2021, amending the Standards for Safeguarding Customer Information, known as “the Safeguards Rule,” under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which is...
Privacy Tip #304 – Scammers Impersonating IRS Employees with Economic Impact Payment Scheme
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a Scam Alert to consumers notifying them that scammers are impersonating employees of the IRS promising a third Economic Impact Payment if they...
Privacy Tip #299 – Creepy SpyFone Banned by FTC
In a second case against stalkerware apps and the first where the FTC has banned a company from doing business, the FTC announced on September 1, 2021, that it has “banned...
FTC Takes Aristotle International Off the COPPA Safe Harbor List
In an unusual but significant move, on August 4, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) removed Aristotle International from the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Safe Harbor List. There were...
Smart Toys and How they May be Invading our Privacy
While smart toys can be useful educational tools for children, they also present some potential privacy risks and could invade what is traditionally considered a private space. Think about it—the thought...