Hulu’s attempt to dismiss a consolidated class action complaint alleging violations of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) failed when federal Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler denied their motion on Friday. The lawsuit (previous coverage) is one of a few that were filed over the use of re-spawning cookies (“supercookies”). In this case, the plaintiffs allege…
Google Fined for Illegal Collection of Personal Information in Norway
The Norwegian Data Inspectorate (Datatilsynet) has given Google a fine of 250,000 NOK (that’s U.S. $42,262 – Dissent) for having illegally collected personal information about Norwegian citizens. In 2010, Datatilsynet found that Google had collected data related to Street View service. At the same time, the company acquired personal information, passwords and e-mails from unsecured…
In the wake of FTC settlements, confusion and dissent remain
In a somewhat frustrating Twitter chat following the Google settlement, one of the first questions – tweeted by Berin Szoka of TechFreedom – was, “How can message sent by today’s ruling be “clear” when there’s no admission of liability?” It was a question that had also been raised by one commissioner who had dissented from…
FTC Approves Final Settlement With Facebook
FTC cleared up another big case week – it finalized its settlement with Facebook. Despite receiving numerous comments on the proposed settlement, the Commission approved the final settlement without any changes: Following a public comment period, the FTC has accepted as final a settlement with Facebook resolving charges that Facebook deceived consumers by telling them they could keep…