Two lawsuits in federal court in California that challenge the way a popular online data-mining company does business could give consumers more privacy protection from firms that sell personal information on the Web. In the most recent complaint, filed last week in the Central District of California, plaintiff Thomas Robins alleged that Spokeo Inc. violated…
Category: Business
FTC Asks Court to Shut Down Text Messaging Spammer
The Federal Trade Commission asked a federal judge to shut down an operation that allegedly blasted consumers with millions of illegal spam text messages, including many messages that deceptively advertised a mortgage modification website called “Loanmod-gov.net.” The FTC is asking the court to freeze the defendant’s assets. According to the FTC complaint, the defendant behind…
FTC Internet Privacy Proposal Slammed By Ad Industry
Mathew J. Schwartz reports: Will the future see a “Do Not Track” setting in browsers that prevents data brokers and Web sites from tracking a consumer’s every click? […] Industry groups, however, have slammed the FTC’s proposal, suggesting it would wreck the ability of Web sites to provide personalized content. “The Internet is comprised of…
SelectOut Founder Analyzes 1,000 Privacy Policies to Make Online Privacy Easier, Part 1
Elaine Rigoli writes: Calvin Pappas is just 19-years-old but thinks online privacy is one of the hottest topics today. While Congress debates regulating the online advertising and tracking industry, the Computer Engineering student has created a site called SelectOut to teach consumers how companies really gather and use their online data. As companies are working…