Antitrust & Trade Regulation › Privacy › Civil Remedies

FTC: Data Brokers That Compile Tenant Data May Be Covered by FCRA

On April 3, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission issued a press release that marks yet another step in its continuing trend of actions involving data brokers and data providers. As we have noted in earlier blog posts, the...more

Advertising Law - Apr 25, 2013

- Marc Roth Invited to Present on Privacy Issues in Marketing at NYC Bar CLE Program: On May 3, 2013, the New York City Bar Center for CLE and the Brand Activation Association (formerly the Promotion Marketing...more

Google Settles Another Privacy Allegation — This One Concerning Its ‘Street View’

Google recently agreed to a settlement after a three-year investigation conducted by 38 state attorneys general stemming for allegations that it had violated individuals’ privacy rights when it collected information from...more

On-Line Privacy: The FTC Snuffs Out A “History Sniffer”

Most people seem to know that on-line browsing does not occur in a vacuum. As we browse the Web the sites we visit send “cookies” to our browsers that allow those sites to recognize us and keep track of our activity on them....more

Google Pays $22.5 Million for Violating Users’ Privacy

After violating a 2011 privacy settlement it had made with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Google has been ordered to pay a $22.5 million fine over its use of cookies on users of Apple’s Safari web browser....more

Do You Follow Your Posted Online Terms and Conditions?

There are dozens of federal statues and regulations that govern consumer privacy. They regulate what data a company can collect and how you must protect it once you have it. One of the best ways to mess up in e-commerce is...more

FTC Cracks Down on Illegal Telemarketing in Debt Relief Scheme and Issues Agenda for Robocall Summit

In an action filed by the Federal Trade Commission, a California district court has issued a temporary restraining order against the operators of debt relief companies that the agency says not only made false representations...more

Advertising Law -- August 24, 2012

In This issue: Long-Running False Advertising Class Action Resolved with $3.3 Million Payment; FTC Issues Record Fine Against Google; Jiffy Lube Agrees to $47M Tune-Up in Spam Text Suit; Coppertone’s Claims Burned...more

Advertising Law -- August 16, 2012

In This Issue: FTC Seeks Additional Comments on COPPA; Nestlé Gets False Ad Suit Dismissed, Despite FTC Settlement; Bag it: NAD Examines Claims About Bag Seal Strength; Running the Gamut: An Update on Toning Shoe...more

Fair Credit Reporting Act Is Applied to Data Broker Selling Personal Information Gleaned from Social Media for Employment...

In what the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) touts as “the first Commission case to address the sale of Internet and social media data in the employment screening context,” Spokeo, an on-line data broker, has agreed to settle...more

Advertising Law -- July 27, 2012

In This Issue: Report: Google to Pay $22.5 Million Fine to FTC Over Privacy Violations; “Barefoot” Class Actions Run into Court; $9M Netflix Privacy Settlement Gets Preliminary Approval; NAD Cleans Up Vacuum Claims; and...more

"When Did You Last Think About Your Privacy Policy?" FTC and Class Action Plaintiffs Take Aim in Data Breach Actions

Almost daily, headlines announcing data breaches exposing consumer personal information to identity thieves are becoming more and more common. Recent regulatory and consumer class actions filed on the heels of these breaches...more

Advertising Law -- May 17, 2012

In This Issue: PMA To Be Represented by Manatt Partner Linda Goldstein on FTC Panel; Manatt Partner Jeff Edelstein to Lead CLE Privacy Law Webinar Session; Thanks to the FTC, Defendants Won’t “Get Rich Quick” on...more

High Stakes: Will Google’s Alleged Circumvention of Safari Privacy Settings Expose It to a $100,000,000,000+ Fine?

Google’s strong interest (some might say desperation) in conquering the social media territory already so thoroughly dominated by Facebook may have caused it to go a little too far. Or a lot too far, assuming you think...more

Advertising Law -- January 20, 2012

In This Issue: Know When to Hold ’Em: DOJ Opens Door for Online Gambling; Advocates, Proponents Weigh In on COPPA Updates; Gilbert Arenas Loses His Appeal; FDA Releases Limited Guidance for Social Media Use; and Diamond...more

The FTC Staff Report on “40 Years of Experience with the Fair Credit Reporting Act” Illuminates Areas of Potential Class Action...

Table of Contents: I. INTRODUCTION 1; II. BACKGROUND FOR THE FTC STAFF REPORT 2; III. SUMMARY OF FCRA OBLIGATIONS ON EMPLOYERS THAT USE CONSUMER REPORTS FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES 2; IV. SUMMARY OF FCRA REMEDIES 4; V. THE...more

Recent Facebook Settlement Spotlights FTC Interest in Representations to Consumers Regarding Online Privacy

On November 29, 2011, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had entered a consent agreement with Facebook resolving the FTC's complaint that Facebook made false representations to consumers regarding Facebook's...more

Facebook Commits to Privacy After FTC Smackdown

Facebook reached a settlement with the FTC today regarding the FTC’s suit accusing Facebook of “unfair and deceptive” business practices concerning what some have described as the site’s alarmingly poor track record regarding...more

Advertising Law - November 4, 2011

In This Issue: Marketers of Grants Banned by FTC from Future Sales; Kashi Faces Suit Over “Nothing Artificial” Claim; MMA Releases Proposed Privacy Guidelines; Age Is More Than a Number for One Actress; and Consumer...more

The FTC Has Your Back, Even When It's Naked: FTC Orders P2P Program's Default File Sharing Settings Changed

On October 12, 2011, the FTC announced that it, along with Frostwire LLC and FrostWire’s managing member, Angel Leon, (collectively, “FrostWire”), agreed to a stipulated final order for permanent injunction resulting from the...more

Advertising Law - September 23, 2011

In This Issue: FTC Proposes Significant Changes to COPPA Rule; FTC Testifies on Children’s Identity Theft; State AGs Question Ads for “Adult Services”; TCPA Plaintiff’s Damages May Exceed $75,000; A “Terrible”...more

2011 — The Year of The Breach: Consumers, companies, insurers, and legislators stake out positions after rash of data breaches

Originally Published in Insurance Law360. In the first seven months of 2011, a number of companies and institutions have reported large-scale data breaches. The causes of the breaches range from misplacement of data by...more

European Court of Justice Holds That Disclosure of Leniency Documents to Cartel Victims Seeking Civil Damages Is Subject to...

The European Commission (EC) and many other competition authorities around the world have long promoted confidentiality as an essential feature of their highly successful cartel leniency programs. The authorities seek to...more

In the Matter of Facebook, Inc. and the Facial Identification of Users

Complaint, Request for Investigation, Injunction, and Other Relief

EPIC Files Complaint, Urges Investigation of Facebook's Facial Recognition Techniques Today EPIC, and several privacy organizations, filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about Facebook's automated tagging of...more

In the matter of Google Inc.

California's US Congresswoman Anna Eshoo recently made a profound statement in the wake of the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) announced settlement of claims that Google breached consumer privacy in rolling out its ‘Buzz’...more