June 2011
Gauge your app-titude
Today, tech-savvy entrepreneurs use mobile apps to build buzz, save money, and stay in touch on the go. But how can you make sure all those apps you buy protect your privacy, keep your data secure, and wind up costing you exactly the advertised price? OnGuardOnline, the federal government’s online safety and security site, has some questions to consider before you click DOWNLOAD.
Double duty?
Sometimes it’s great to put stuff to more than one use. Think the versatile Swiss Army knife, the iconic Little Black Dress, or the typical elementary school “cafetorium” where kids can eat lunch, shoot hoops, and put on plays. But when what’s at issue is information from people’s credit reports, that kind of double duty can violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act — as the FTC’s $1.8 million settlement with
The Fair Credit Reporting Act & social media: What businesses should know
You have some job openings at your company or maybe you’re thinking of promoting people to new positions. You’ve winnowed that stack of resumes down to some promising candidates. Now it’s nitty gritty time: background checks.
It's all about the order
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Law enforcers often ask themselves a similar question: “If a lawsuit reaches final judgment without concrete protections in place for the future, does it have any impact?” That explains the FTC’s keen interest in remedies with the teeth necessary to do the job. Simply put, when it comes to consumer protection, it’s all about the order.
Shedding light on lumens
You use them everyday at home and at the office, they’re within an arm’s reach of where you’re sitting — and they’re undergoing the most profound change since the days of Thomas Edison. Any guesses?
Light bulbs.
Dot Com Disclosures deadline extended
Hmm. Escape for a few days at the beach or burn the midnight oil to meet the impending deadline for comments about the FTC’s guidance document, Dot Com Disclosures: Information About Online Advertising? No need to make that choice now that the Commission has extended the deadline for comments to Wednesday, August 10, 2011.
Around the world in shady ways
Yes, it’s a global marketplace, but geography still matters. Misrepresentations about where a company is based can have significant implications for buyers. That’s the message of an FTC settlement announced today against a California online retailer that allegedly deceived British consumers into thinking it was a “hometown operation” by falsely using a .co.uk website.
Stolen Futures: A Forum on Child Identity Theft
Years ago any conversation about kids’ identities was about sewing name tags in their clothes before they left for summer camp. How times have changed.
What the headline giveth
If you work in the telecommunications field, you’ll want to follow the FTC’s pending lawsuit against Millennium Telecard. But even if telecom isn’t your line, the case illustrates a key principle of FTC advertising law: “What the headline giveth, the fine print cannot taketh away.”
“Find ‘em, list ‘em, and make money”? Not so fast, say the FTC and Colorado AG
You run a successful business or maybe you work with some of the top companies in the country. A friend or relative is struggling to climb out of a financial hole. They ask for advice about a can’t-miss “wealth-building program.” Do them a favor and suggest they apply the brakes before shelling out a penny.