On December 18, the FTC announced a settlement in its 15th case (and its first in 13 months) addressing the data security practices of companies handling sensitive consumer information. American United Mortgage Company agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty for failing to implement reasonable safeguards to protect customer information and failing to provide customers with privacy notices.
Federal Trade Commission
FTC Staff Issues Proposed Self Regulatory Principles for Behavioral Advertising and Seeks Comment
By Proskauer Rose on
FTC staff issued a statement today proposing four “self-regulatory” principles to guide businesses engaged in online behavioral advertising. FTC staff also seeks public comments on these principles as well as additional information on what other uses businesses are making of online tracking data. Interested parties can submit comments by February 22, 2008.
The statement, titled “Online Behavioral Advertising: Moving the Discussion Forward to Possible Self-Regulatory Principles” follows from the FTC’s town hall meeting held in early November 2007. There, FTC considered privacy issues raised by behavioral advertising and heard from consumer interest groups and businesses’ alike.