ftc

Mon
27
May
Dennis Faas's picture

Google Advertising Deals Under Investigation, Again

Google is yet again under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This time the probe, which is still at a very early stage, involves the firm's advertising practices. The investigation hasn't been officially announced, but sources have ... told both Reuters and Bloomberg that it is under way. (Source: reuters.com ) This investigation centers on Google's advertising network. Specifically, the focus is on the way it accepts advertisements and then places ads on websites that sell space. Google offers its index of web content to find the site where the ad is most likely to generate ... (view more)

Thu
14
Mar
Dennis Faas's picture

FTC Cracks Down on Facebook, Twitter Ads

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has revised its rules about online advertising to better account for new trends in social media. The FTC warns that the short format of ads on Facebook and Twitter is no excuse for misleading customers. The warning ... comes in a document called ".Com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising." It's an update to an original set of guidelines called "Dot Com Disclosures," which was published in 2000. This is the first time the rules have been updated, even though the Internet has changed dramatically since that time. The key to the ... (view more)

Tue
12
Mar
Dennis Faas's picture

FTC Busts Major Spam Texting Operation

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged 29 people suspected of sending more than 180 million spammy text messages. An FTC spokesman said he had a simple message for anyone who receives unsolicited offers through a text message: ... "Delete them, immediately. The offers are, in a word, garbage." (Source: pcmag.com ) According to the FTC, the accused sent messages falsely claiming the recipient had won a prize, such as a $1,000 gift card from a major retailer. If a recipient followed a link placed in the message, they would be asked to supply personal information -- including ... (view more)

Mon
07
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Google Retains Right to Control Search Results

After spending more than a year investigating allegations that Google favored its own products when producing search results, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided against imposing any serious punishment on the search giant. In response, ... Google is both celebrating the decision and also using the FTC report for its own benefit. The FTC decision is in line with earlier reports that suggested government officials simply didn't have much proof of any wrongdoing by Google. In what appears to be an agreed-upon outcome, Google has promised that for the next five years it will make it easier ... (view more)

Tue
18
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Google Search Rankings Probe Ends in Controversy

Insiders say it now looks as though Google will not be punished for allegedly favoring its own web sites when compiling its search engine results pages. Rival firms are already complaining such an outcome would allow Google to retain an unfairly-won ... advantage over them. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been looking into a series of allegations that Google abused its dominance of the Internet search market by unfairly favoring its own websites when compiling its search results. However, observers say the punishment the FTC could inflict on Google is unclear, even if the regulatory agency ... (view more)

Fri
23
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Google Search Rigging May Go Unpunished: FTC

Insider reports suggest the US government may decide against taking Google to court over allegations it fixed its search results for its own benefit. Officials are reportedly concerned they don't have evidence to suggest such practices actually ... harmed any web users. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been carrying out a preliminary investigation to determine whether or not Google has broken any rules. If the FTC does find Google violated federal law, it must then determine what the government can do. Investigation Focuses on Smartphone, Search Markets The investigation covers several ... (view more)

Wed
24
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Web Survey Firm Stole Credit Card Data: FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says an Internet firm claiming it collected only shopper opinions about the products they bought was actually collecting personal data. The firm, Compete, is negotiating a court-approved settlement of the charges. ... So far, the punishment the company will face has not been publicly revealed. Compete used online ads to recruit customers into its "Consumer Input Panel", telling them they can give their opinions and win prizes. To participate, however, consumers needed to install special tracking software on their computers to monitor what websites they visited. ... (view more)

Tue
02
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

FTC Catches PC Rental Stores Spying on Customers

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has banned several companies from using spy software on computers they rent out. The banned software not only logged users' keystrokes but unobtrusively accessed the computers' webcams. PC Rental Agent is the ... software that appears to have been used in more than 400,000 "leasable" computers around the world, including those rented out by 1,617 rent-to-own stores in North America and Australia. (Source: ftc.gov ) The software is ostensibly designed to track down computers when rental customers disappear with the machines. However, the FTC has ... (view more)

Mon
27
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

FTC Sues Dish Network for Telemarketing Violations

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing Dish Network for breaching rules on telemarketing calls. The government agency claims the satellite TV firm made millions of unsolicited telephone calls aimed at making sales. Some of the people covered by ... the new complaint were on the "National Do Not Call Registry," a central resource set up in 2004 to prevent unsolicited telemarketing phone calls to consumers who want their privacy. Most for-profit companies are banned from calling telephone numbers on the Do No Call list. The FTC had already complained that Dish Network called people ... (view more)

Wed
15
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Google Misleads Safari Users; Fined $22.5 Million

Google has agreed to pay a $22.5 million penalty for misleading users of the Safari browser about its privacy policies. It's the largest penalty ever imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for this type of offense. The case involves cookies, ... the small text files which a website places on a user's computer to identify and help track them. In many cases, cookies help advertisers deliver particularly relevant advertisements (Amazon's "Recommended for You" feature is one example). Google Tricks Safari With Bogus Code Since many web users don't like being followed, Apple decided ... (view more)

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