PITTSBURGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations – Philadelphia (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Pittsburgh (FBI), and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), is issuing a public safety alert regarding an alarming increase in the online exploitation of…
Category: Youth & Schools
Feds cite ‘explosion’ in child sextortion cases, FBI, DHS issue national public safety alert
Kevin Johnson reports: Citing an “explosion” of online sextortion cases involving children, federal authorities Monday issued an unusual national public safety alert in an attempt to intervene in increasingly aggressive schemes linked to more than a dozen suicides in the past year. At least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, have been identified as targets in operations largely…
Fortnite Video Game Maker Epic Games to Pay More Than Half a Billion Dollars over FTC Allegations of Privacy Violations and Unwanted Charges
— Epic will pay a $275 million penalty for violating children’s privacy law, change default privacy settings, and pay $245 million in refunds for tricking users into making unwanted charges — The Federal Trade Commission has secured agreements requiring Epic Games, Inc., creator of the popular video game Fortnite, to pay a total of $520…
Sen. Wicker Throws Fresh Wrench in Kids’ Online Privacy Measure
Maria Curi reports: A key Republican lawmaker is pushing for language in legislation to protect children’s privacy online that would thwart the bill’s sponsors push to pass it before the year ends. Pressure is ramping up on lawmakers to pass privacy protections after decades of failed efforts. Protecting children online is popular among members of…