Following a public comment period, the FTC has accepted as final a settlement with Facebook resolving charges that Facebook deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public. The settlement requires Facebook to take several steps to make sure it […]
Tag Archives: Consumer Protection
Google Will Pay $22.5 Million to Settle FTC Charges it Misrepresented Privacy Assurances to Users of Apple’s Safari Internet Browser
Google Inc. has agreed to pay a record $22.5 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misrepresented to users of Apple Inc.’s Safari Internet browser that it would not place tracking “cookies” or serve targeted ads to those users, violating an earlier privacy settlement between the company and the FTC. The […]
FTC Sends Refunds to Consumers Allegedly Deceived by First Universal Lending Mortgage Loan Modification Scheme
The Federal Trade Commission mailed more than 13,000 refund checks to consumers who were allegedly deceived by a company that claimed it would negotiate with lenders to modify the consumers’ mortgages and make them more affordable. To resolve FTC charges, First Universal Lending and its owners agreed to an order banning them from the mortgage […]
FTC to Host Telephone Press Conference to Respond to Questions About the FTCs $22.5 million Settlement with Google
MEDIA ADVISORY MEDIA ADVISORY MEDIA ADVISORY Media Advisory August 9, 2012 WHAT: Telephone Press Conference to respond to questions about the FTC’s $22.5 million settlement with Google. WHO: David Vladeck, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection James Kohm, Associate Director for Enforcement Federal Trade Commission WHEN: Thursday, August 9, 2012; 11:30 a.m. Reporters who wish to […]
Refunds Stemming From Reebok’s Settlement With FTC Mailed to Consumers Who Bought EasyTone and RunTone Shoes and EasyTone Apparel
In connection with the Federal Trade Commission’s settlement with Reebok International Ltd, a settlement administrator is mailing approximately 315,000 checks to consumers who bought allegedly deceptively advertised toning shoes and apparel from the company. Ads for Reebok’s toning shoes claimed that sole technology featuring pockets of moving air creates “micro instability” that tones and strengthens […]
FTC Action Halts Dominican Mortgage Assistance Scam That Allegedly Defrauded Spanish-Speaking U.S. Homeowners of more than $2 Million
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has halted anationwide scam operating from the Dominican Republic – but pretending to be in Chicago – that allegedly peddled fake mortgage assistance relief to financially distressed Spanish-speaking homeowners in the United States. The defendants promised to dramatically lower homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments […]
FTC Action Results in Contempt Order Against Online Check Writing Marketers
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal court found a check creation and delivery business and its operators in contempt for violating a court order barring them from creating and e-mailing checks for consumers without verifying users’ identities or their authority to draw funds on the financial accounts they use, leaving unsuspecting […]
FTC Alerts Consumers Who Want to Help Colorado Movie Theater Shooting Victims
The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, has tips for anyone who may want to donate money to the victims and families of the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting. One opportunity for giving, the Aurora Victim Relief Fund, has been established by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and the Community First Foundation to meet […]
FTC Becomes First Enforcement Authority in APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules System
The Federal Trade Commission welcomed the approval of the United States’ participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Cross-Border Privacy Rules system, which was announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce today. The APEC privacy system is a self-regulatory initiative to enhance the protection of consumer data that moves between the United States and other […]
DC Funeral Home Agrees to Pay $25,000 for Funeral Rule Violations
A Washington, DC, funeral home and its owners will pay a $25,000 civil penalty to resolve charges that they violated the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, which helps to ensure that people have the information they need to compare prices and buy only the funeral services and goods they want. In May 2011, at the […]