Commission

FTC Finalizes Order with X-Mode and Successor Outlogic Prohibiting it from Sharing or Selling Sensitive Location Data

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Risk, Commission, Privacy, Collection, Social media, Blog, Sale, News, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Satellite navigation device

The Federal Trade Commission has finalized an order prohibiting data broker X-Mode and its successor Outlogic from sharing or selling any sensitive location data to settle allegations that the company sold precise location data that could be used to track people’s visits to sensitive locations such as medical and reproductive health clinics and places of worship.

Key Points: 
  • The Federal Trade Commission has finalized an order prohibiting data broker X-Mode and its successor Outlogic from sharing or selling any sensitive location data to settle allegations that the company sold precise location data that could be used to track people’s visits to sensitive locations such as medical and reproductive health clinics and places of worship.
  • In a complaint first announced in January 2024, the FTC charged that X-Mode/Outlogic failed until May 2023 to remove sensitive locations from the raw location data it sold and did not implement reasonable or appropriate safeguards against downstream use of the precise location data it sold, putting consumers’ sensitive personal information at risk.
  • In addition to the ban on selling or sharing sensitive location data, the order also imposes several other requirements on X-Mode/Outlogic including mandating that it create a program to ensure it develops and maintains a comprehensive list of sensitive locations, and ensure it is not sharing, selling or transferring location data about such locations.
  • Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.

FTC Action Leads to Industry Ban for Ringleader of Student Loan Debt Relief Scam

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Consumer protection, Education, District court, Social media, Blog, News, Student, Commission, Court, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Insurance

The ringleader of a student loan debt relief scam will be permanently banned from the debt relief industry and is required to turn over assets as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

Key Points: 
  • The ringleader of a student loan debt relief scam will be permanently banned from the debt relief industry and is required to turn over assets as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.
  • The settlement with Marco Manzi resolves FTC charges involving the student loan debt relief scheme.
  • The FTC said that Apex operators pocketed approximately $8.8 million in junk fees by luring students with false promises of loan forgiveness.
  • The FTC has resources on how to avoid student loan debt relief scams at ftc.gov/StudentLoans.

FTC Announces Special Open Commission Meeting on Rule to Ban Noncompetes

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Webcast, Commission, Social media, Policy, Blog, News, Federal Trade Commission, FTC

Today, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan announced that a special Open Commission Meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 2pm ET.

Key Points: 
  • Today, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan announced that a special Open Commission Meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 2pm ET.
  • The following item will be on the agenda:
    Business Before the Commission:
    Rule to Ban Noncompetes Clauses:
    The Commission will vote on whether to issue a proposed final rule that would prevent most employers from enforcing noncompetes against workers.
  • The proposed final rule the Commission will consider stems from the notice of proposed rulemaking the FTC issued in January 2023, which was subject to a 90-day public comment period.
  • At the start of the meeting, the Commission will vote on whether to authorize public disclosure of the proposed final rule that is under consideration.

FTC Announces Special Open Commission Meeting on Rule to Ban Noncompetes

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Webcast, Commission, Social media, Policy, Blog, News, Federal Trade Commission, FTC

Today, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan announced that a special Open Commission Meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 2pm ET.

Key Points: 
  • Today, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan announced that a special Open Commission Meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 2pm ET.
  • The following item will be on the agenda:
    Business Before the Commission:
    Rule to Ban Noncompetes Clauses:
    The Commission will vote on whether to issue a proposed final rule that would prevent most employers from enforcing noncompetes against workers.
  • The proposed final rule the Commission will consider stems from the notice of proposed rulemaking the FTC issued in January 2023, which was subject to a 90-day public comment period.
  • At the start of the meeting, the Commission will vote on whether to authorize public disclosure of the proposed final rule that is under consideration.

FTC Finalizes Order with X-Mode and Successor Outlogic Prohibiting it from Sharing or Selling Sensitive Location Data

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Risk, Commission, Privacy, Collection, Social media, Blog, Sale, News, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Satellite navigation device

The Federal Trade Commission has finalized an order prohibiting data broker X-Mode and its successor Outlogic from sharing or selling any sensitive location data to settle allegations that the company sold precise location data that could be used to track people’s visits to sensitive locations such as medical and reproductive health clinics and places of worship.

Key Points: 
  • The Federal Trade Commission has finalized an order prohibiting data broker X-Mode and its successor Outlogic from sharing or selling any sensitive location data to settle allegations that the company sold precise location data that could be used to track people’s visits to sensitive locations such as medical and reproductive health clinics and places of worship.
  • In a complaint first announced in January 2024, the FTC charged that X-Mode/Outlogic failed until May 2023 to remove sensitive locations from the raw location data it sold and did not implement reasonable or appropriate safeguards against downstream use of the precise location data it sold, putting consumers’ sensitive personal information at risk.
  • In addition to the ban on selling or sharing sensitive location data, the order also imposes several other requirements on X-Mode/Outlogic including mandating that it create a program to ensure it develops and maintains a comprehensive list of sensitive locations, and ensure it is not sharing, selling or transferring location data about such locations.
  • Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.

Proposed FTC Order will Prohibit Telehealth Firm Cerebral from Using or Disclosing Sensitive Data for Advertising Purposes, and Require it to Pay $7 Million

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Online, Diagnosis, Consumer protection, Betrayal, Name, District court, Patient, Internet, Mental health, Social media, Blog, News, DOJ, Commission, ROSCA, Complaint, IP, Justice, Pharmacy, File, Language, Privacy, Marketing, Advertising, Federal Trade Commission, FTC

The order must be approved by the court before it can go into effect.

Key Points: 
  • The order must be approved by the court before it can go into effect.
  • “As the Commission’s complaint lays out, Cerebral violated its customers’ privacy by revealing their most sensitive mental health conditions across the Internet and in the mail,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.
  • “To address this betrayal, the Commission is ordering a first-of-its-kind prohibition that bans Cerebral from using any health information for most advertising purposes."
  • Cerebral provides online mental health and related services on a negative option basis, which means consumers are automatically charged unless they cancel those services.
  • Despite promising that consumers could “cancel anytime,” Cerebral required its clients to navigate a complex, multi-step, and often multi-day process to cancel.
  • The complaint alleges that the company continued to charge consumers while it slow-walked consumers’ cancellation requests, which cost consumers millions in additional charges.
  • The proposed order, which must be approved by a federal court before it can go into effect, only applies to Cerebral.
  • The Commission voted 3-0 to refer the complaint against Cerebral and Robertson and a stipulated final order with Cerebral to the Department of Justice for filing.
  • The DOJ filed the complaint and stipulated order in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

FTC Action Leads to Industry Ban for Ringleader of Student Loan Debt Relief Scam

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Consumer protection, Education, District court, Social media, Blog, News, Student, Commission, Court, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Insurance

The ringleader of a student loan debt relief scam will be permanently banned from the debt relief industry and is required to turn over assets as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

Key Points: 
  • The ringleader of a student loan debt relief scam will be permanently banned from the debt relief industry and is required to turn over assets as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.
  • The settlement with Marco Manzi resolves FTC charges involving the student loan debt relief scheme.
  • The FTC said that Apex operators pocketed approximately $8.8 million in junk fees by luring students with false promises of loan forgiveness.
  • The FTC has resources on how to avoid student loan debt relief scams at ftc.gov/StudentLoans.

20 Talks - Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary General's Envoy on Technology

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Civil service commission, Microsoft, Republic, EDPS, African Union, Private law, Information commissioner, Commission, Speech, Justice, Annual report, Heart, European Commission, EDPB, Intellectual property, Digitalization, Democrat, UN

20 Talks - Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary General's Envoy on Technology

Key Points: 
  • 20 Talks - Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary General's Envoy on Technology
    In this episode, our guest is Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary General's Envoy on Technology.
  • In this episode, our guest is Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary General's Envoy on Technology.
  • The EDPS presents its Annual Report 2023, summarising its key achievements in an evolving digital and regulatory landscape.
  • Read Press Release
    Read the decision
    On 20 June 2024, we invite you to the European Data Protection Summit: “Rethinking Data in a Democratic Society”.

FTC Sends $1.2 Million in Refunds to Consumers Harmed by Deceptive Investment Claims

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 12, 2024
PayPal, Fraud, Commission, News, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Online shopping

The Federal Trade Commission is sending $1.2 million in refunds to consumers who paid for the advice of supposed experts based on deceptive claims of substantial investment profits.

Key Points: 
  • The Federal Trade Commission is sending $1.2 million in refunds to consumers who paid for the advice of supposed experts based on deceptive claims of substantial investment profits.
  • Indeed, many consumers lost substantial amounts of money in attempting to follow the services’ advice.
  • The settlement also prohibits them from making any claims about earnings without having written evidence to back those claims up.
  • In 2023, FTC actions led to $324 million in refunds to consumers across the country.