ftc

A collection of advocacy groups today asked the Federal Trade Commission to ban Facebook's recently announced feature that allows automatic sharing of news articles and other information if users choose to enable it.

In a letter sent to the FTC, the groups allege that Facebook's automatic sharing feature announced last week at the F8 developer conference is an "unfair and deceptive trade practice" that violates federal law. The letter also raised concerns about Facebook's practice of collecting data about users even if they're logged out. (See CNET's F8 coverage.)

"Facebook's frictionless … Read more

Two U.S. congressmen today asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Facebook's practice of tracking users even after they have logged out.

"When users log out of Facebook, they are under the expectation that Facebook is no longer monitoring their activities. We believe this impression should be the reality. Facebook users should not be tracked without their permission," said the letter (PDF) sent to the FTC by Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Joe Barton, a Texas Republican.

"Facebook was able to obtain this information when users visited websites that connect with Facebook, including websites … Read more

In an effort to keep up with changing technology, the FTC is proposing changes to online privacy rules that give parents control over the type of information that Web sites can collect from kids under 13.

The proposed amendments are an update to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which became effective in 2000. The possible revisions focus on five areas, including parental notice, the definition of personal information, and the confidentiality and security of children's personal information.

One notable change would be updating the definition of personal information to include geolocation information, as well as other kinds … Read more

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Monday, August 22.

• Netflix's stock fell nearly $100 from $300 per share, after the company announced it would raise prices. The entire stock market has taken a tumble, but that still doesn't explain Netflix's stock plummet.

• WebOS is the mobile operating system that Hewlett-Packard discontinued last week. Devices that run the system are selling like hot cakes. However, as CNET's Brian Tong found out, his order of the TouchPad didn't go though after all.

• Ford … Read more

ASPEN, Colo.--The U.S. Federal Trade Commission should take a different approach to "do not track" that would involve investigating online advertising, and then perhaps regulating it, a commissioner said today.

J. Thomas Rosch, a Republican commissioner who was appointed in 2006, suggested that the best way to create a do-not-track mechanism for the Web would be for the FTC to require all advertising networks to disclose what they do.

"The commission could serve those entities with compulsory process," Rosch said at the Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum here. We could "direct them … Read more

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Friday, August 19.

• In a hearing Monday before the International Trade Commission, Microsoft plans to press its case that Motorola's Android-powered devices violate its patents. The hearing will focus on the validity of Microsoft's patents and on whether Motorola infringed on them. The hearing should last 10 days.

• What are the risks of wireless medical devices? One security researcher discovered that he could hack his wireless insulin pump and remotely control it. "The second reaction was one … Read more

I don't know about this guest-editing thing. Do magazines get famous people to agree to guest-edit, then actually edit the issue themselves and simply invite the guest for lunch?

If that was the case, it would have made things a touch easier for Ashton Kutcher when he guest-edited the September edition of Details magazine.

This was an online-only edition, dubbed "the Social Issue." However, it soon became something of a business issue.

You see, the new star of "Two and a Half Men" was accused of featuring more than a dozen tech companies in this … Read more

An iOS developer has been fined $50,000 for allegedly violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, the Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday.

COPPA is a far-reaching act, requiring Web site operators to notify and obtain parent or guardian consent before children's personal information is collected, used, or disclosed. Privacy policies that are clear and understandable for parents are also required.

According to the government organization, iOS developer W3 Innovations, which is doing business as Broken Thumb Apps, violated COPPA in several of its applications, including Emily's Girl World, Emily's Dress Up, Emily's Dress Up &… Read more

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Wednesday, August 10.

Anonymous says it will target Facebook on November 5. CNET blogger Chris Matyszczyk asks, "Regardless of whether this is a fake threat, a rogue threat or a full-bore one, is Facebook scared? It surely has some reason to be."

Kindle Cloud Reader app allows you to get Kindle library on your PC or tablet from Safari or Chrome. You can read Kindle books on the iPad using the Safari browser. Apple may choose to disable … Read more