Everyone who is anyone is on Instagram these days, apparently. But not all posts on the photo-sharing platform are purely organic; some result from material connections between influencer or celebrity posters and the brands or products they are endorsing. This connection is not always made clear to viewers, however, according to the Federal Trade Commission
TRUSTe Settles COPPA Safe Harbor Enforcement Action with NYAG
TRUSTe has settled allegations by the New York Attorney General that it did not adequately assess whether companies certified under its Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Safe Harbor seal program allowed third party sites to track children. TRUSTe agreed to pay $100,000 and will be required to adopt new procedures to make its COPPA
Government Agencies to be Rated on Cybersecurity Using NIST Framework
The Trump administration has announced that it will impose new metrics on federal agencies related to cybersecurity. Agencies and departments will be required to comply with the framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and report back to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB),
FTC Takes on “Made in the USA” Claim for Second Time This Year
“Made in the USA” is an attractive selling point for many consumers who want to support homegrown industry, so it is the topic of many advertising claims for a variety of products. But to establish that a product is American-made, manufacturers have to show all its key parts were made here. And if steel tags
FCC Takes Initial Step to Give Privacy, Security Authority Back to FTC
On March 1, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a temporary stay of one of the broadband privacy rules adopted in October of last year. That rule, which pertains to data security, would otherwise take effect on March 2. Newly installed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Acting Chair Maureen Ohlhausen issued
Sealed: Three IT Companies Settle FTC Deceptive APEC Privacy Claims
If a business advertises it is a member of a privacy program, even a voluntary one, it had better be, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In separate but related complaints, the FTC alleged that three businesses – software provider Sentinel Labs Inc., private messaging app developer SpyChatter Inc., and cybersecurity software company Vir2us
Elliot Kaye Steps Down as CPSC Chair
In line with the chairs of other U.S. government agencies and commissions, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Elliot F. Kaye has resigned his seat as chairman, according to internal sources. Pursuant to the commissioners’ unanimous vote on January 19, 2017, Vice Chair Ann Marie Buerkle assumes the role of Acting Chair until a
FTC Finds Water Company Claims Are All Washed Up
The push to “Buy American” aims to encourage consumers and businesses to support homegrown industry. So, when a water filter maker’s claims of “buil[t] in the U.S.” didn’t hold water, the company quickly found itself in a sea of trouble with the FTC.
Georgia-based iSpring advertised and sold its water filter to consumers on its
Smart TV Tracking Without Permission? Not So Clever
Have you ever had the niggling suspicion your television was watching you? Apparently, if it was made by smart technology manufacturer VIZIO, it very well may have been. In a $2.2 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the New Jersey Attorney General, VIZIO acknowledged that it collected and sold data from
NIST Issues New Update to Cybersecurity Framework
On January 10, 2017, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released an update to its Cybersecurity Framework, first issued in 2014. The Framework focuses on using business drivers to guide cybersecurity activities and considering cybersecurity risks as part of the organization’s risk management processes. The new draft provides details on managing cyber supply