FTC distributes $72 million in Fortnite refunds from Epic Games

December 10, 2024 at 12:18PM The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is distributing over $72 million in refunds related to Epic Games’ Fortnite for employing deceptive practices that led players to make unwanted purchases. **Meeting Takeaways:** 1. **FTC Action**: The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against Epic Games. 2. **Refund Distribution**: Over $72 million is … Read more

FTC reports 50% drop in unwanted call complaints since 2021

November 15, 2024 at 01:54PM The FTC reported a 50% decline in consumer complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls since 2021, with 1.1 million reports in 2023. The National Do Not Call Registry has 254 million active registrations. Key complaint categories include medical calls and imposters. Ongoing crackdowns aim to combat illegal telemarketing practices. ### Meeting … Read more

Verkada to pay $2.95M for security failures leading to breaches

September 2, 2024 at 12:08PM The FTC proposes a $2.95 million penalty on Verkada for security failures that allowed hackers to access live video feeds from 150,000 internet-connected cameras. Based on the meeting notes, the key takeaway is that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a $2.95 million penalty on security camera vendor Verkada … Read more

FTC Slams TikTok With Lawsuit After Continued COPPA Violations

August 5, 2024 at 03:40PM The Justice Department and FTC filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance for allegedly violating children’s online privacy protections. TikTok is accused of allowing children to create accounts and collect personal information without parental consent. FTC chair Lina Khan emphasized the need to protect children online from … Read more

Smart Cars Share Driver Data, Prompting Calls for Federal Scrutiny

July 31, 2024 at 03:09PM Two US senators have urged the US Federal Trade Commission to investigate automakers’ sharing of driver data without consent, citing issues with data privacy and deceptive terms of service in smart cars. The letter emphasizes the potential security risks of connected vehicles and the lack of comprehensive data privacy regulations … Read more

Blackbaud has to cough up a few million dollars more over 2020 ransomware attack

June 17, 2024 at 01:50PM Cloud software company Blackbaud has agreed to settle with California’s attorney general, paying a $6.75 million fine for its cybersecurity failings after a 2020 ransomware attack. The settlement aims to improve data protection and security measures. This follows a previous settlement with 49 other state AGs and the District of … Read more

Best Buy and Geek Squad were most impersonated orgs by scammers in 2023

May 24, 2024 at 06:29PM The Federal Trade Commission shared data on the most impersonated companies in 2023, with Best Buy, Amazon, and PayPal topping the list. Scammers made varying amounts depending on the impersonation, with Microsoft impersonators leading at $60 million and Comcast plus Xfinity scammers at the lowest with $2 million. Scammers use … Read more

FTC Sending $5.6 Million in Refunds to Ring Customers Over Security Failures

April 25, 2024 at 08:15AM The FTC is issuing $5.6 million in refunds to 117,000 Ring customers following a 2023 settlement over security issues. This action is a response to reported security failures. [Source: SecurityWeek] Based on the meeting notes, the key takeaway is that the FTC is issuing $5.6 million in refunds to more … Read more

Tech support firms Restoro, Reimage fined $26 million for scare tactics

March 14, 2024 at 12:45PM Restoro and Reimage will pay $26 million to settle charges for using scare tactics to deceive customers into buying unnecessary computer repair services. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission imposed the fine for violating the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The proposed FTC order also bans them from engaging … Read more

FTC sues H&R Block over deceptive ‘free’ online filing ads

February 23, 2024 at 05:21PM The FTC filed a lawsuit against H&R Block, alleging deceptive advertising for its “free” online tax filing and pressuring users to buy more expensive services. H&R Block’s 70,000 tax pros worldwide cater to a $3.5 billion revenue. The FTC claims the company misleads customers and makes downgrading products and obtaining … Read more