Search Results for keywords:"deceptive practices"

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a consent order with Everalbum, Inc. to address allegations that the company engaged in unfair and deceptive practices. The FTC claims that Everalbum misled users about the use of facial recognition technology and the deletion of user data upon account deactivation. The proposed order requires Everalbum to delete certain data and obtain user consent for processing biometric information. The order is open to public comments until February 24, 2021, after which the FTC will decide whether to make it final.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has released the 36th edition of its Supervisory Highlights, focusing on significant findings in the student loan market. It highlights issues such as deceptive practices by private lenders that misled borrowers about losing federal loan benefits when refinancing, unfair denial of benefits like disability discharges, and misleading information about autopay discounts. The report also examines improper loan collection tactics and the handling of federal student loan services during the COVID-19 pandemic repayment pause, pointing out issues like long call wait times and inaccurate billing statements. The CFPB is calling for corrective actions to protect consumers and ensure fair practices.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a consent agreement with Flo Health, Inc., a company accused of sharing users' menstrual and fertility data without their consent, violating laws against deceptive business practices. Flo Health had promised users their information would remain private but allegedly shared it with third parties like Facebook and Google. The proposed order, open for public comment, requires Flo Health to improve its privacy practices, notify users of the data sharing, and obtain users' express consent before sharing personal health information again. Additionally, there's a debate among FTC commissioners about whether further enforcement actions, such as applying the Health Breach Notification Rule, should be taken against Flo Health.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a proposed consent agreement with Tapjoy, Inc. to resolve allegations of deceitful practices in its mobile gaming advertising platform. The FTC claims Tapjoy misled consumers by promoting false offers of in-app rewards that were often not delivered, causing harm to both gamers and game developers. The proposed order requires Tapjoy to prevent such deceptive practices by ensuring accurate reward representations and providing a clear method for consumers to report issues. The Commission has invited public comments on this proposal until February 12, 2021.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking public comments on a proposed consent agreement with GoDaddy Inc. due to alleged violations of federal law regarding deceptive practices. The FTC claims that GoDaddy falsely advertised their data security measures as robust while failing to implement adequate security practices, leading to unauthorized access to customers' websites and data breaches. The proposed agreement requires GoDaddy to enhance its data security measures, undergo regular third-party assessments for 20 years, and report additional data incidents to the FTC. These measures aim to prevent future violations and protect consumers' personal information.

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a consent agreement with Chemence, Inc. to address allegations of deceptive practices related to their claims about products being "Made in USA." The FTC found that Chemence falsely advertised their glue products as primarily made in the United States, while much of the materials were sourced from abroad. The proposed order includes a $1.2 million judgment and guidelines for future advertising and compliance measures, including preventing Chemence from making false claims about product origins unless they accurately reflect manufacturing and material sources. This action is part of a shift towards stricter enforcement of "Made in USA" claims, aiming to protect consumers and honest competitors.

The Federal Trade Commission has adopted changes to the Telemarketing Sales Rule to address deceptive technical support scams. These amendments extend the Rule to cover inbound telemarketing calls responding to advertisements or direct mail solicitations offering tech support services. The changes aim to protect consumers, especially older adults, from tech support scams frequently exploiting them. The amendments will become effective on January 9, 2025, and are designed to strengthen consumer protections and allow the FTC to take more robust enforcement actions against deceptive practices in tech support telemarketing.