September 2010
Lock Mess
There’s lots of public information out there about people. So it’s no surprise there’s a booming business in the sale of data – and in the sale of services that promise to protect personal information. The FTC’s recent settlement with data broker US Search demonstrates that like any other advertising claims, representations about privacy and security must be substantiated.
Toe the Line on Do Not Call
Lots of businesses rely on telemarketers to sell their products and services. If you’re one of them, you’ve probably heard of the National Do Not Call Registry, which gives people the right to limited unwanted telemarketing calls. Did you know people have placed more than 200 million phone numbers on the Do Not Call list?
UN-surance
Many smaller companies want to extend health benefits to employees, but are concerned about keeping the price affordable. For people who own their own business or are looking for work, cost-effective coverage can be tough to find. If you’re in the market for health insurance, make sure that’s what you’re buying. Some programs pitched to small businesses, the self-employed, and the uninsured sound like affordable health insurance, but actually are medical discount plans. Although some plans may offer legitimate savings, others take people’s mon
Admongo
You fought off a hostile takeover and went toe to toe with the most aggressive competitor in the business. But now you’re facing the toughest crowd of all: a classroom of fifth graders at the local elementary school’s Career Day. No need to be frozen with fear when Admongo – an online videogame that educates kids about advertising – is just a click away.
The Dupe of URL
No, not the doowop song by Gene Chandler, but a form of fraud aimed at small businesses and non-profits. Here’s how the scam works: Con artists send fake invoices to businesses, listing the domain name or URL of the company’s website or a slight variation – like substituting ".org" for ".com." The bills, designed to look like they come from a domain name registrar, say the company owes money for its annual "website address listing" and "search optimization" service.
What's Your P2P Policy?
You’re looking at a website right now, but what else is open on the toolbar at the bottom of your screen? Customer spreadsheets? Financial documents? Confidential memos? What’s the risk that a hacker is looking over your virtual shoulder to steal data that could be used to commit fraud or ID theft? The answer may depend on your company’s policy toward peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing.
Full Disclosure
The FTC’s first law enforcement action related to the revised Endorsement Guides offers compliance insights for marketers. In a proposed settlement with Reverb Communications, Inc., the FTC alleged that employees of a public relations agency hired by game developers posed as consumers and posted reviews on Apple’s iTunes store without disclosing that the reviews came from people working on behalf of the d
BCP Business Center: Your Link to the Law
Welcome to the BCP Business Center: Your Link to the Law. Explore and you’ll find practical compliance guidance on advertising, telemarketing, credit, data security, and other need-to-know topics for business owners and marketing professionals. What else will you find? The latest word on upcoming workshops, hot-off-the-presses staff reports, and new compliance videos. We’ll do our best to keep things to the point with a minimum of ho-hum, a maximum of how-to, and as little yadda yadda yadda as a legal website can manage.