Leveraging Knowledge to Manage Your Data Risks
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…
Scammers prey on us at our most vulnerable. Although some of us are early holiday shoppers, others wait until the last minute. Scammers know this and are lurking to find late shoppers scrambling for gifts. Many late shoppers feel a bit desperate, so they are at risk of falling for scams that divert them to…
I admit that when I am looking online for restaurants, consumer products, and places to stay, I generally look at reviews and they influence my decision. However, there have been numerous reports that reviews are often fake and unreliable. That has become so pervasive that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule in…
Unfortunately, when natural disasters hit innocent victims and good-natured people want to help those in need, scammers swoop in to manipulate the bleak situation to commit fraud or price gouging.
Following Hurricanes Helene and Milton , the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a warning…
This week, Marriott International, Inc. and its subsidiary Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide LLC (collectively, Marriott) agreed to settle on the terms of a settlement order with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its alleged failures to implement reasonable security measures which in turn led to three data breaches between 2014 and 2020, affecting over…
