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There’s been a lot of talk about breaking records these past few weeks. But here’s one you won’t see on the sports pages: the FTC’s $22.5 million settlement with Google, the largest civil penalty ever against a single defendant. The penalty stems from FTC charges that Google didn’t give users of Apple’s Safari Internet browser the straight story about the use of tracking cookies. That, says the FTC, violated the terms of Google’s 2011 privacy...

Most job seekers are familiar with the basics: Wear a clean shirt, extend a firm handshake, and don’t ask about vacations in the first 10 minutes of the interview. But these days more businesses are digging deeper. Tulsa-based HireRight Solutions is a background screening company that thousands of employers use to check out current employees and people applying for jobs. When it comes to Fair Credit Reporting Act compliance, the FTC says...

HR could use better PR. Say "human resources" and some people think of Dunder Mifflin’s joy-deficient Toby Flenderson from "The Office." But you know better and appreciate the job your HR team does to keep your organization up and running. They're also a critical line of defense between your company and the onslaught of data thieves and scammers. The BCP Business Center has a special page to make their job a little easier. Why should HR be a part...

People who signed up with the Jacksonville-based Alcoholism Cure Corporation were promised a “scientifically proven” program that “cures alcoholism while allowing alcoholics to drink socially.” What they got was a shopping list, instructions to take handfuls of unproven supplements, and a particularly troubling surprise when they tried to cancel their membership. A recent ruling by a federal judge upheld FTC and Florida AG allegations that when...

Remember the character from the Superman comic books who was the exact opposite of the Man of Steel? He said no when he meant yes, his alter ego went by the name "Kent Clark," and was part of the Injustice League of America. It made for fun reading, but you wouldn’t want him crafting your ad claims. According to the FTC’s lawsuit against DR Phone Communications, promotional materials for the company’s long distance calling cards said one thing —...

At the BCP Business Center, we offer tips on how to stay on the right side of the law. But we also do our best to spread the word about the latest frauds targeting businesses — and this one’s a piece of work. If your company accepts checks or online payments, you’ll want to be on the look-out for a scam that could leave you with a stack of worthless paper. Here’s what’s happening: In exchange for a fee and some personal information, fraudsters...

The terms of the FTC’s Spokeo settlement apply just to Spokeo, but that case and other recent law enforcement actions offer insights for a much broader audience. Consumer reporting agencies. Sure, people usually think of a few specific companies when the topic turns to consumer reports, but the definition of “consumer reporting agency” under the Fair Credit Reporting Act is broader than you might think. If you’re covered under the FCRA, you have...

The lawsuit against data broker Spokeo is the FTC’s first Fair Credit Reporting Act case addressing the collection of online info — including data from social networking sites — when used in the context of employment screening. But that’s not the only way the Spokeo settlement touches on social media. The FTC also charged that Spokeo violated Section 5 by having employees post glowing recommendations of the company’s services on news and...

Like chicken and waffles or ham and pineapple on pizza, some combos don’t sound like they’d go together, but make sense once you find out more. Put the FTC’s settlement with Spokeo on that list. According to the FTC, data broker Spokeo violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act and used deceptive endorsements in violation of Section 5. A closer look at the pleadings explains how those two hot topics found their way into one FTC complaint. FCRA first...

On classic episodes of the Tonight Show, affable sidekick Ed McMahon sought guidance from Johnny Carson's all-knowing Carnac character. But as demonstrated by a recent FTC law enforcement action — which involved a company's misleading reference to the late Mr. McMahon — you don't need a psychic to know that challenging deceptive debt collection practices remains a top priority. According to the complaint, defendants Luebke Baker & Associates, CEO...