The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) first lawsuit of 2018 is against the maker of popular lines of jogging strollers, Britax Child Safety, Inc. The complaint, to be heard in administrative proceedings, concern’s Britax’s B.O.B. jogging strollers. The company and its 2011 merger partner, B.O.B. Trailers, Inc., have been importing and distributing the strollers
Online Talent Company Settles with FTC Over Alleged COPPA Violations
Online talent search company Explore Talent just landed in the spotlight of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The Vegas-based company was charged with violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires that companies collecting information online must obtain informed, verifiable parental consent before collecting any information from a child under 13. The company
European Court of Justice Throws Out Class Action in Latest Schrems Battle
In the latest round of the ongoing battle between Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems and Facebook, the European Court of Justice (CJEU) ruled that Schrems did not have standing to bring claims on behalf of Austrian consumers over Facebook’s alleged violations of users’ privacy rights. The court did, however, allow for Schrems to continue with
ICC Launches Free E-Course on Responsible Marketing and Advertising
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Commission on Marketing and Advertising has launched a free, two-hour interactive ethical marketing and advertising course designed to help companies and other stakeholders apply the fundamental principles of the ICC Marketing Code. Created in conjunction with the ICC Academy and modeled on a program developed by international business
Senate Bill Would Give FTC Enforcement Power Over Credit Bureaus
In response to the Equifax data breach last September, when hackers gained access to the personal information of 143 million consumers, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) have introduced a bill, The Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act of 2018, that would ultimately impose security obligations on credit reporting agencies (CRAs). The
CPSC Nominations Update
President Trump resubmitted the nominations of Ann Marie Buerkle as chair and a second term as commissioner, and Dana Baiocco as commissioner (replacing Marietta Robinson (D)) of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The Senate received the nominations on January 8, 2018.
On December 21, 2017, the United States Senate returned some 120 nominations to
FTC and FCC Enter into MOU For Broadband Enforcement
In furtherance of the Restoring Internet Freedom Order that was adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 14, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and FCC have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that lays out how the agencies will coordinate consumer protection efforts and manage enforcement actions. The MOU will take
Learning From Facebook’s WhatsApp EU Privacy Challenges
Nearly one year after it was first warned its privacy practices were inadequate under European law, popular messaging platform WhatsApp has been cited with privacy deficiencies for a second time. The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party (WP29), which is made up of data regulators from EU Member States and the Commission, sent a letter
Sears Seeks to Modify FTC Order on Online Tracking
In 2009, Sears Holding Management settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over allegations that the company’s online tracking activity exceeded what they told consumers. Now, Sears has submitted a petition requesting that the FTC reopen and modify its settlement order, arguing that changing technology since 2009 has made the order’s definition of “tracking
Court Rules on Spectrum Challenge to CPSC Civil Penalty Authority
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) dispute with Spectrum Brands was resolved in court on September 29, 2017, with both sides able to claim victories of sorts. On the one hand, CPSC was able to obtain a civil penalty for Spectrum’s failure to report and sale of recalled products. On the other, that civil