HTC Settlement Could Alter Mobile Security and Privacy Landscape

HTC America’s settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Friday has the potential to revamp not only how hardware manufacturers handle the security and privacy of mobile devices, but how carriers do so, as well. “In many ways, this settlement is a shot across the bow of the handset and...

Privacy of Millions of HTC devices at risk

More than 18 million smartphones and other mobile devices made by HTC are at risk vulnerable to many security and privacy issue. The Federal Trade Commission charged HTC with customizing the software on its Android- and Windows based phones in ways that let third-party applications install softwa...

Privacy of Millions of HTC devices at risk

More than 18 million smartphones and other mobile devices made by HTC are at risk vulnerable to many security and privacy issue. The Federal Trade Commission charged HTC with customizing the software on its Android- and Windows based phones in ways that let third-party applications install softwa...

Google Play privacy issue, sends app buyers personal details to developers

Google is again under attack for its apparent mishandling of its users' personal information. An Australian software developer 'Dan Nolan' revealed that the search giant was sending him the full names, email and post codes of everyone who purchased his app on Google's Play. In a blog post, Nolan...

Google Play privacy issue, sends app buyers personal details to developers

Google is again under attack for its apparent mishandling of its users’ personal information. An Australian software developer 'Dan Nolan' revealed that the search giant was sending him the full names, email and post codes of everyone who purchased his app on Google's Play. In a blog post, Nolan...

FTC Endorses New Privacy Guidelines, Do Not Track for Mobile Apps, Devices

Hoping to ramp up privacy on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, the Federal Trade Commission FTC has released a series of suggestions to help app developers, advertising networks and device companies better protect their users online. As it’s done over the last two years with browser...

FTC Demands Companies Disclose How They Gather, Use Consumer Data

The Federal Trade Commission Tuesday demanded nine data brokerage companies turn over details on how they collect and use consumer information as part of an inquiry into the industry’s business practices. The companies include Acxiom of Little Rock, Ark.; Corelogic of Irvine, Calif.; Datalogix of...

FTC Launches Investigations into Mobile Apps for Kids

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday said it’s launching “non-public investigations” to determine if mobile application providers are violating federal laws by collecting information on children without their parents’ permission. A report indicates almost 60 percent 235 of the children-centric...

FTC Settles With Ad Network Over Browser History Sniffing

The FTC has reached a settlement with Epic Marketplace, a large online ad network, related to what the FTC says is the company’s practice of sniffing users’ browser history for the purpose of serving them targeted ads related to a variety of sensitive topics. The settlement bars Epic from...

FTC Finalizes Facebook Settlement over Privacy

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission today announced it had finalized its settlement with Facebook, which is now subject to biennial privacy audits for the next 20 years and requires its nearly 1 billion users opt in to any future privacy policy changes. The settlement announcement follows news that...

Google Settles With FTC Over Tracking Cookies, Pays $22.5M Fine

Google has agreed to pay a $22.5 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission to settle charges that the company set tracking cookies on the machines of Safari users, after saying that it would not use such tracking measures or serve targeted ads to the users. The FTC investigation began after a...

Google Reportedly Near Settlement With FTC on Safari Tracking

The FTC is nearing completion of its investigation into allegations that Google used a special technique to circumvent the privacy settings on Safari to enable better tracking of users, even when tracking was disabled by the user. The decision may cost Google millions of dollars in fines, but it’...

Anonymous Targets the FTC

Earlier this year the Anonymous hacking collective took credit for knocking offline a couple of sites belonging to the Federal Trade Commission. They claimed that the attack was in retaliation for the U.S. government’s support of the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. Anonymous...

FTC Sues Wyndham Over Breaches Linked to $10m In Fraud

UPDATE: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has fined Wyndham Hotels for a string of data breaches that resulted in information on hundreds of thousands of customers being lost to cyber criminals. An FTC complaint, filed on June 26, 2012, asks for “permanent injunctive relief” against Wyndham for...

FTC Bares Teeth, Levies $800k Fine Against Data Brokerage Firm

In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the Federal Trade Commission FTC told data brokerage firm Spokeo it has until tomorrow to hand over $800,000 to the Treasurer of the United States. The ruling came in a case addressing the sale of personal Internet information for the purpose of job applicant...

Twitter Implements Do Not Track

Twitter has implemented the Do Not Track header on its site, giving users the option of telling the site that they do not want to be tracked across other sites on the Web. The implementation is being done through the DNT technology in the Firefox browser. Firefox, like other major browsers, allow...

Report: Google Negotiating with FTC over Apple Safari Privacy Breach

Search giant Google is in negotiations with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission FTC over the size of a fine it will pay. This, after the company was found in breach of privacy controls in Apple’s Safari browser earlier this year. According to an article from the Bloomberg news service, an unnamed...

Page's CEO Letter Gives Short Shrift To Privacy, Security

Privacy and security are not the top concerns for Google’s Larry Page, at least if the CEO’s most recent message to investors is any indication. The 3,500 word letter makes scant mention of either security or user privacy and gives the public little indication of Google’s plans to address the...

How The Free Market Fails Privacy-Conscious Consumers

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part podcast with security researcher Chris Soghoian. It’s a truism that the pace of technological change outstrips society’s ability to grasp the impact of that change. For the most part, the consequences of this are benign and the remedies...

RockYou Agrees to $250K FTC Fine Over Loss Of 32m Passwords

The Federal Trade Commission announced on Tuesday that it had reached a settlement with RockYou over violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act COPPA after the Web site allowed hackers to gain access to the personal information of its 32 million members. In a statement published o...