A federal court has ordered a payment processor that debited consumers’ bank accounts without their authorization to pay $1,779,000 in consumer redress and to end the illegal practice. Payment processors serve as middlemen between merchants and banks or credit card companies. In 2006, the Federal Trade Commission charged the defendants with unfairly debiting thousands of…
Do thongs count?
The Associated Press reports that the Brooksville, Florida city council Florida city “has written common sense into its employee dress code: Wear underwear to work.” Others might interpret their new code less favorably. According to their coverage, the council revised their dress code: The revision instructs employees to observe “strict personal hygiene,” including the use…
Lawmakers Search For A Fine Line In Privacy Regulation
Influential lawmaker Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) said Thursday that he plans to introduce legislation that will require Web companies to obtain consumers’ opt-in consent before sharing information about users with third parties. “I believe consumers are entitled to some baseline protections in the online space,” Boucher, chair of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the…
Draft Paper: “But the Data is Already Public”: On the Ethics of Research in Facebook
I haven’t had a chance to read this yet, but Michael Zimmer has a draft paper available based on his critique of the “Taste, Ties, and Time” Facebook data release that is sure to be thought-provoking. Michael notes on his blog that he will be presenting his paper at the 8th International Conference of Computer…