Leveraging Knowledge to Manage Your Data Risks
Years ago, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) designated the last week of January asIdentity Theft Awareness Week. For 2026, this week is devoted to education and awareness about identity theft, which is an ever-present problem.
According to the FTC, “identity theft is one of the most-reported problems to the FTC every year.” The FTC…
I served on the Board, and am a big fan of Foster Forward, an amazing organization located in Rhode Island that provides services to foster children and youth and supports the child welfare system as a whole. During my many years of service on the Board, I learned about the challenges of foster children…
Disney has agreed to pay $10 million and change how it labels children’s videos on YouTube to settle claims by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that the company violated federal children’s privacy laws.
The settlement resolves allegations that Disney subsidiaries Disney Worldwide Services Inc. and Disney Entertainment Operations LLC failed to properly flag some of…
On September 3, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against Apitor Technology, which makes robotic toys, alleging that Apitor’s app “enabled a third party in China to collect geolocation information from children without parental consent.”
The DOJ filed suit following a referral from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that Apitor did not comply…
On March 31, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (EO 14254) titled “Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market.” EO 14254 directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to, amongst other provisions, rigorously enforce the Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act or the Act) and address unfair ticket scalping practices.
Overview of the…
We have repeatedly warned our readers about malicious QR codes and their use by threat actors.
Threat actors are now using these codes to disguise packages as gifts. Upon opening the package, recipients find a note with instructions to scan a QR code to identify the sender. The code launches a website that asks for…
Singapore-based Chinese video game developer Cognosphere, dba HoYoverse, known for “Genshin Impact,” a role-playing game involving collectible characters with unique fighting skills, has agreed to pay $20 million to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations that it violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and deceived players about the cost of winning certain prizes.…
In its continued concentration on the collection and use of consumers’ precise geolocation, on January 16, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settled with General Motors (GM) over allegations that it collected, used, and sold drivers’ precise geolocation and driving behavior data from millions of vehicles—data that can be used to set insurance rates—without adequately…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed settlement order against GoDaddy alleging that it “has failed to implement reasonable and appropriate security measures to protect and monitor its website-hosting environments for security threats, and misled customers about the extent of its data security protections on its website hosting services.”
The proposed settlement order requires…
On January 16, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a press release stating, “The updated [Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)] rule strengthens key protections for kids’ privacy online. By requiring parents to opt [into] targeted advertising practices, this final rule prohibits platforms and service providers from sharing and monetizing children’s data without active…
