FTC
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FTC orders GM to stop collecting and selling driver’s data
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against General Motors (GM) and its subsidiary, OnStar, for unlawful collection and selling drivers’ precise geolocation and driving behavior data from millions of vehicles. The U.S. government organization proposes a settlement in which the automotive giant will be barred from sharing drivers’ sensitive data for five years. The car maker also has…
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Genshin Impact’s developer to pay $20 million fine to settle FTC charges
The Federal Trade Commission announced on Friday that Genshin Impact developer Cognosphere has agreed to a $20 million settlement and several restrictions on how it sells its loot boxes and manages children’s personal data. According to the FTC, the company “actively marketed” its loot boxes to children and misled players about their odds of winning prizes. Cognosphere allegedly also “deceived…
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FTC cracks down on Genshin Impact gacha loot box practices
Genshin Impact developer Cognosphere (aka Hoyoverse) has agreed to a $20 million settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its gacha loot box monetization and is now banned from selling them to teens under the age of sixteen without parental consent. This comes after the FTC referred a complaint to the Department of Justice over the company’s unfair marketing of loot…
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FTC orders Marriott and Starwood to implement strict data security
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered Marriott International and Starwood Hotels to define and implement a robust customer data security scheme following failures that led to massive data breaches. After acquiring Starwood in 2016 and failing to implement “reasonable data security,” Marriott International suffered three major data breaches impacting 344 million customers globally. Order for stronger measures Now, the FTC has…
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The FTC orders Marriott and Starwood to beef up their data security
The Federal Trade Commission announced on Friday it finalized an order (pdf) requiring Marriott International and subsidiary Starwood Hotels to improve their digital security, reports BleepingComputer. The FTC charged the companies with lax security practices that resulted in three big breaches detected in 2015, 2018, and 2020, “affecting more than 344 million customers worldwide,” leaking passport details, payment cards, and…
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FTC warns of online task job scams hooking victims like gambling
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns about a significant rise in gambling-like online job scams, known as “task scams,” that draw people into earning cash through repetitive tasks, with the promises of earning more if they deposit their own money. Although this type of scam was nearly non-existent in 2020, with the FTC receiving zero reports, the agency documented 5,000…
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Trump’s pick for FTC chair promises to go after ‘censorship’ from tech companies
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Andrew Ferguson to be the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Ferguson will take over for Lina Khan, who has earned praise from Vice President-elect J.D. Vance for her efforts to fight big tech. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great…
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FTC distributes $72 million in Fortnite refunds from Epic Games
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is distributing over $72 million in Epic Game Fortnite refunds for the company’s use of dark patterns to trick players into making unwanted purchases. This is part of the record-breaking $245 million settlement the agency reached with the game publisher in December 2022. The settlement addressed allegations that Epic Games used “dark patterns” to trick players…
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Microsoft facing FTC antitrust probe over cloud, AI competition concerns
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Microsoft over antitrust issues, according to sources cited in multiple reports. While the reports suggest the FTC is examining multiple facets of Microsoft’s business, including AI, Office, and security, the focus appears to be cloud computing and how its Azure services are bundled with its other products and services. According to the…
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FTC opens antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s cloud, AI, and cybersecurity practices – Computerworld
Focus on market dominance and security practices The investigation centers on Microsoft’s bundling of office productivity and security software with its cloud services, a practice critics argue disadvantages competitors in the authentication and cybersecurity markets. The FTC is particularly examining Microsoft Entra ID, its user authentication service, amid complaints that licensing terms and integration with its cloud offerings impede rival…
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