Markets Wired

Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges against Goldenshores Technologies, LLC, and its owner, Erik Geidl.

According to the FTC’s complaint, the company created a popular flashlight app for Android devices that the FTC charged deceived consumers with a privacy policy that did not reflect the app’s use of personal data and presented consumers with a false choice on whether to share their information.

The settlement, first announced in December 2013, prohibits Goldenshores and Geidl from misrepresenting how consumers’ information is collected and shared and how much control consumers have over the way their information is used.

The settlement also requires the defendants to provide a just-in-time disclosure that fully informs consumers when, how, and why their geolocation information is being collected, used and shared, and requires defendants to obtain consumers’ affirmative express consent before doing so.

The defendants also will be required to delete any personal information collected from consumers through the Brightest Flashlight app.

The Commission vote approving the final order and letters to members of the public who commented on it was 4-0.  (FTC File No. 132-3087; the staff contacts are Kerry O’Brien, FTC Western Region – San Francisco, 415-848-5189; and Sarah Schroeder, FTC Western Region – San Francisco, 415-848-5186.)

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.