On February 22, 2018, the Federal Trade Commission published a blog post that provides tips on how consumers can use Virtual Private Network apps to protect their information while in transit over public networks.
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Canadian Privacy Commissioner Issues Report on Children’s Educational Apps
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Recently, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada issued its 2017 Global Privacy Enforcement Network Sweep results, which focused on certain privacy practices of online educational tools and services targeted at classrooms. The OPC examined the privacy practices of two dozen educational websites and apps used by K-12 students.…
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FTC Announces Settlement Regarding Targeted Digital Advertising
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Posted in Marketing, Online Privacy
On December 20, 2016, the FTC announced that it has agreed to settle charges that Turn Inc., a company that enables commercial brands and ad agencies to target digital advertising to consumers, tracked consumers online even after consumers took steps to opt out of tracking. …
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California AG Announces Launch of Online CalOPPA Reporting Form
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Posted in Online Privacy, U.S. State Law
On October 14, 2016, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced the release of an online form that will enable consumers to report potential violations of the California Online Privacy Protection Act. …
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Texas AG Settles Suit with Messaging App Over Children’s Data Practices
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On October 3, 2016, the Texas Attorney General announced a $30,000 settlement with mobile app developer Juxta Labs stemming from allegations that the company engaged in deceptive practices regarding its collection of personal information from children.…
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China Publishes First Regulation Expressly Regulating Mobile Apps
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Posted in Information Security, International
On June 28, 2016, the State Internet Information Office of the People’s Republic of China published the Administrative Provisions on Information Services for Mobile Internet Applications (the “App Administrative Provisions”). This is the first regulation that expressly regulates mobile apps in the People’s Republic of China. Before the App Administrative Provisions were published, the P.R.C. Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had published a draft of the Interim Provisions on the Preinstallation and Management of the Distribution of Mobile Intelligent Terminal Applications (“Interim Provisions”). The comment period for the Interim Provisions draft expired six months ago and i’s still uncertain when it will become effective. According to unofficial statistics, domestic app stores have more than 4 million apps in inventory presently, and the number is growing. Those apps will now become highly regulated products under the App Administrative Provisions.…
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Ad Network to Pay Nearly 1 Million in Civil Penalties to Settle FTC Charges That It Geo-Tracked Consumers Without Permission
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On June 22, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it reached a settlement with a mobile advertising company, InMobi, to resolve charges that the company deceptively tracked hundreds of millions of consumers’ locations without their knowledge or consent. Among other requirements, the settlement orders the company to pay 950,000 dollars in civil penalties. …
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FTC Orders Mobile Device Manufacturers to Provide Information about Security Updates for Study
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Posted in Information Security, U.S. Federal Law
On May 9, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission announced it had issued Orders to File a Special Report to eight mobile device manufacturers requiring them to, for purposes of the FTC’s ongoing study of the mobile ecosystem, provide the FTC with “information about how [the companies] issue security updates to address vulnerabilities in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.”…
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FTC Releases Interactive Tool for Mobile Health Apps
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Posted in Health Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission recently released an interactive tool for mobile health apps. The tool was developed in conjunction with several other federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and the Food and Drug Administration.…
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HHS Releases Guidance on Health Apps and HIPAA Security Rule Crosswalk
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Posted in Cybersecurity, Health Privacy
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights published guidance on the use of mobile health apps as well as a crosswalk that maps the National Institute of Standards and Technology Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Framework to the HIPAA Security Rule.…
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