Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tech Firms' Privacy Measures May Get FTC Scrutiny

Casey Newton, San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 14, 2012

From the article: "If tech companies don't do a better job with privacy or security, they may be hearing from the Federal Trade Commission. Last year, the FTC reached settlements with Internet giants Google, Facebook and Twitter after finding that some of their products had allowed users' privacy to be breached. This year, the FTC expects to expand its look at mobile products and services, particularly smart-phone applications, to better understand how user information is being collected and shared…Tech companies are listening. The FTC's agreements last year with social networks, the first of their kind, require the companies to put into place comprehensive privacy programs monitored by independent auditors for 10 years in Twitter's case and 20 for Google and Facebook." Read more

See Also
Privacy and Security
Bureau of Consumer Protection Business Center