On February 27, 2013, the European Article 29 Working Party (a group comprising representatives from all of the data protection authorities of the EU Member States, referred to in this articles as “WP29”) issued an Opinion on the privacy and data protection implications of the use of apps on mobile devices (“the Opinion”). The Opinion… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: FTC
Federal Court in Manhattan “Likes” Service of Process via Facebook
Posted in FTC, LitigationOn March 7, 2013, a federal court in Manhattan ruled, in Federal Trade Commission v. PCCare247 Inc., that service via Facebook is an acceptable alternative means of serving court documents on foreign defendants. Although this is a watershed ruling in many respects, in other ways, it is a natural extension of current authority in a… Continue Reading
FTC Updates Its “Dot Com Disclosures” With a Focus on Social Media Advertising
Posted in FTCOn March 12, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an important update to its “Dot Com Disclosures” guide to advertisers on making effective online disclosures. In doing so, the FTC has driven home the points that: The consumer protection laws apply to all advertisers, regardless of the medium used—and including social media, even where there… Continue Reading
FTC Announces Important Settlement With Social Networking App and Releases New Mobile App Report
Posted in FTC, Litigation, PrivacyThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a potentially groundbreaking settlement with the social networking app Path and released an important new staff report on Mobile Privacy Disclosures late last week. The FTC’s Settlement with Path suggests a new standard may be on the near-term horizon: out-of-policy, just-in-time notice and express consent for the collection of… Continue Reading
New Issue of the Socially Aware Newsletter Now Available
Posted in Employment Law, FCC, FTC, IP, Litigation, Privacy, Section 230 Safe Harbor, Statistics, Terms of Use, TrademarkIn the latest issue of Socially Aware, our Burton Award-winning guide to the law and business of social media, we look at recent First Amendment, intellectual property, labor and privacy law developments affecting corporate users of social media and the Internet. We also recap major events from 2012 that have had a substantial impact on… Continue Reading
FTC Issues Substantially Revised COPPA Rule, Effective July 1, 2013: Review of Changes and Compliance Tips
Posted in FTC, PrivacyOn December 19, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (“Commission”) announced long-awaited amendments to its rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“Rule”). The changes—which take effect on July 1, 2013—are significant. They alter the scope and obligations of the Rule in a number of ways. We discuss the revisions in greater detail below. The… Continue Reading
FTC Snuffs Out Online “History Sniffing”
Posted in FTC, PrivacyThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has cracked down on a company that was engaged in “history sniffing,” a means of online tracking that digs up information embedded in web browsers to reveal the websites that users have visited. In a proposed settlement with Epic Marketplace, Inc. and Epic Media Group (together, “EMG”) announced on December… Continue Reading
FTC Issues Guidance for Mobile App Privacy and Advertising; Signals More Enforcement Coming
Posted in FTC, PrivacyOn September 5, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a brief guide to assist developers of mobile applications, both large and small, in complying with truth-in-advertising, privacy, and data security principles. In publishing this advice, the FTC makes clear that its Section 5 enforcement powers against unfair or deceptive acts or practices apply in… Continue Reading
FTC’s Privacy Report Suggests Tightening of Privacy Regime, Provides Guidance to Business
Posted in FTC, PrivacyOn March 26, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (the “Commission” or “FTC”) released its much-anticipated final privacy report, Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change. The report builds upon the Commission’s December 2010 preliminary report, and provides recommendations for businesses and policymakers with respect to online and offline privacy practices. The report will… Continue Reading
Warning Signs: Promotions Using Facebook’s “Like” Feature
Posted in FTC, NAD, Online PromotionsIn a recent case of first impression, the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (“NAD”) – an industry forum for resolving disputes among advertisers – addressed an advertiser’s use of Facebook’s “like” feature in connection with an online promotion. Such promotions – referred to as “like-gated” promotions, typically ask a Facebook user… Continue Reading
The FTC Proposes Changes to Its COPPA Rule – And Why Every Website Operator Should Pay Attention
Posted in PrivacyThe Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently released proposed amendments to its rule (“Rule”) implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). The Rule requires the operator of a website or online service to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from a child under the age of 13. If adopted as drafted, the revised… Continue Reading