ftc

FTC investigating Google over Motorola patents

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Google's Motorola Mobility unit is improperly blocking access to industry-standard technology that should be licensed to competitors according to traditional industry and legal practice.

A source says Google has been served by the FTC with a civil investigative demand -- similar to a subpoena. The news was reported earlier by Bloomberg, which said the government is also seeking information from Apple and Microsoft.

The issue involves so-called frand patents -- "fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory" -- that cover technology essential to the smooth operation of an industry. As CNET's Roger … Read more

FTC sues Wyndham hotels over data breaches

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against hotel chain Wyndham Worldwide and three subsidiaries for allegedly storing data in plain text and other security failures that enabled hackers to access more than 600,000 payment card accounts in three data breaches in less than two years.

The hackers exported the payment card account data to an Internet domain address registered in Russia, according to the FTC lawsuit (PDF). They then used the data stolen from Wyndham's data center in Phoenix to make transactions, resulting in fraud losses of more than $10.6 million, the suit … Read more

Import bans over patents cause 'substantial harm,' FTC says

Google's efforts to block imports of Microsoft's Xbox and Apple's iPhone could cause "substantial harm" to consumers, competition, and innovation, the Federal Trade Commission said in a letter today.

The letter -- addressed to the U.S. International Trade Commission, a federal agency with the power to enforce bans on products shipping to the U.S. -- suggested companies should be limited in their ability to block competitors' imports based on patents that are built into industry standards.

"Simply put, we are concerned that a patentee can make a RAND [reasonable and nondiscriminatory] commitment … Read more

FTC chair Leibowitz: Apps need simpler privacy statements

PALOS VERDES, Calif.--Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz, speaking at the D10 conference today, called on technology companies to implement three things to protect consumer privacy.

Acknowledging that tech vendors are doing better today at building privacy into apps, what he called, "privacy by design," he said that most companies actually want to design with consumer protection in mind.

But, he said, consumers need more transparency. He called for simpler policies for consumers. "They have to be like a nutrition guide on the side of a cereal box," he said. As a counter-example, he said … Read more

Google up against hotshot lawyer in FTC antitrust case

Google could face a rough time in the courtroom if the FTC's antitrust case against it goes to trial.

To determine whether Google violated antitrust laws, the Federal Trade Commission is using the big guns with attorney Beth Wilkinson, an ex-prosecutor for the Department of Justice.

Wilkinson has developed a reputation as a powerful and determined litigator, successfully handling several cases that have put her into the limelight, says Reuters. She was the prosecutor in the trial of Timothy McVeigh, arguing in favor of the death penalty for the Oklahoma City bomber. In private practice, she has defended tobacco … Read more

Google fills search with Zagat ratings

It's time to rate your world on Google+ Local, double down on secrets and lose the hashbang:

Google+ has teamed up with Zagat to add a new feature encouraging users to review local establishments. It's called Google+ Local, and even if you don't use Google+, you'll start to see these ratings pop up around Google search and maps.

Apple CEO Tim Cook shared some interesting comments at the D10 conference Tuesday. To summarize, Cook didn't say if Apple was working on a television set, he vowed that the company will "double down" on … Read more

Myspace settles with FTC over ad privacy flap

Myspace and the Federal Trade Commission have reached a settlement over charges that the social network let advertisers access user information without first asking for permission.

As part of the settlement, Myspace will implement a new privacy program that requires "independent privacy assessments" and runs for the next 20 years.

The original issue stemmed from a behavior that gave advertisers access to Myspace users' Friend IDs, unique identifiers that linked to user accounts on the service. The FTC alleged that Myspace was breaking its own privacy policy by not alerting users about the behavior, or asking for their … Read more

Justice Department closes probe into Google Street View

Google released information today that the U.S. Justice Department investigation into the company's use of wireless networks while working on the Street View project closed as of last May.

This information comes within a report that the Internet giant filed with the Federal Communications Commission today, according to Bloomberg. The Justice Department decided, "it would not pursue a case for violation of the Wiretap Act," Google said in the filing.

There have been a handful of government investigations into how Google's Street View cars collected the personal and private data of individuals via wireless networks … Read more

Google may face fine over Safari privacy bypass

Google may soon find itself paying another fine for privacy violations.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is expected to decide during the next 30 days whether to fine the Web giant for bypassing user privacy settings in Apple's Safari Web browser, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News that cited sources familiar with negotiations between Google and the agency.

In a practice it has since ceased, Google used special code to get around Safari's privacy controls in order to track users on computers and mobile devices. Google has previously told CNET that the company … Read more