MilConsumer Blog Feed

What will it take to get businesses to honor the promises they make about the privacy of consumers’ health data? Multiple FTC law enforcement actions in the past year? Two more cases against companies that shared health information with third-party advertising platforms without people’s consent? Here’s the loud-and-clear message companies need to hear: The FTC won’t back down in the fight to protect the privacy of consumers’ sensitive health data.

We like to think the FTC Business Blog offers an occasional notable quote – or quotable note – on the issues businesses and consumers are talking about. Right now no topic is more top-of-mind than artificial intelligence. That’s why we’re pleased that Aspen Digital has named a Business Blog post by FTC attorney Mike Atleson to its first Reporting on AI Hall of Fame.

Today, the FTC announced four winners of the Voice Cloning Challenge, which was launched to address the present and emerging harms of artificial intelligence, or “AI”-enabled voice cloning technologies. The FTC received submissions from a wide range of individuals, teams, and organizations. The winners are outlined in the press release and on the Challenge website. The agency called for ideas that can be implemented during at least one of the...

Voice cloning: A boon for people with medical issues or an AI-enabled bonanza for scammers? The answer depends on who’s using the technology and how they’re using it. That’s why the FTC is taking a 360° approach in the battle against the misuse of voice cloning. One part of that comprehensive strategy is the FTC Voice Cloning Challenge announced in November – and we’re excited to reveal the winners.

Is the person who contacted your employee really from the IRS or Social Security Administration? And what about those calls and texts to consumers claiming to be from your company? The FTC’s new Trade Regulation Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses takes effect today and a just-released Data Spotlight underscores the Rule’s critical importance to consumers and businesses.

Scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies are consistently among the top frauds reported to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network. [1] In 2023, data from the FTC alone show more than 330,000 reports of business impersonation scams and nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams. [2] That amounts to nearly half the frauds reported directly to the agency. [3] Combined, reported losses to these impersonation...

Business executives, tech professionals, and the attorneys who represent them need to stay current on what’s happened – and what’s happening – at the FTC when it comes to privacy and data security. You could set aside weeks to review the hundreds of FTC cases, reports, rulemakings, and policy initiatives touching on those topics or you could scroll through the agency’s to-the-point 2023 Privacy and Data Security Update to get the latest word.

The FTC’s Office of Technology (“OT”) was founded in 2023 with the purpose of strengthening and supporting law enforcement investigations and actions, advising and engaging with FTC staff and the Commission on policy and research initiatives, and engaging with the public and relevant experts to understand trends and to advance the Commission’s work. 24 Members of the International Competition Network (ICN) are committed to continuing to...

It is increasingly important to use existing legal and enforcement tools in digital and technology cases and develop and implement new or updated tools and approaches to strengthen investigations and agency missions. Based on the recognition that technology is a critical piece of enforcing the laws in our respective jurisdictions, the following findings were discussed and advanced at the International Competition Network Tech Forum and will...

Finding healthcare coverage can be a challenge for many Americans, including gig workers, the self-employed, and people at small businesses. So when consumers were looking for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, plans sold by an outfit called Benefytt Technologies seemed like a reasonable option – except that according to the FTC, what Benefytt sold hundreds of thousands of consumers wasn’t comprehensive health insurance, wasn’t ACA-qualified, and often left them unprotected in a medical crisis. But there’s finally some good news for Benefytt customers. Due to the settlement of an FTC law enforcement action, they’ll be receiving close to $100 million in refunds.