Tag: Federal Trade Commission

Emerging Issues

The FTC Gang’s All Here

As we noted in a previous post, the United States Senate has confirmed five new commissioners, bringing a full complement to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Four of those commissioners have taken their seats, with the fifth likely to join in the Fall. Earlier this month, the “new” FTC signaled a continued commitment to act in the area of data privacy and security by reaching a settlement with a California company regarding false claims regarding compliance with the European Union-United States Privacy Shield framework… Continue Reading
Lawsuit

FTC Settles False Representation Claim Against Mobile Phone Manufacturer

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has settled with BLU Products, Inc. over allegations that the unlocked mobile phone manufacturer allowed a third-party provider to collect detailed personal information about its consumers without their knowledge or consent. In 2016, BLU Products admitted that a third-party app called “Wireless Update” has been “collecting unauthorized personal data in the form of text messages, call logs and contacts from customers” on some devices. The FTC alleged that BLU Products, its co-owner, and president falsely claimed that only information needed… Continue Reading
Data Privacy

Facebook Faces a Bombardment of Lawsuits Over Handling of Personal Information

Facebook is facing yet another class action lawsuit in the wake of the well-publicized Cambridge Analytica scandal. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California near the company’s Menlo Park headquarters, follows close on the heels of Facebook’s admission that the personal information of a large number of its users was collected via a personality quiz app named “This is Your Digital Life” and shared with Cambridge Analytica. The app harvested the personal information of not only those who used it, but also millions… Continue Reading