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Business Blog

Down in the dumps(ter)

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Every business generates paper destined for the circular file. But if documents contain sensitive information, don’t toss them out in a way that could invite unauthorized access. According to the FTC...
Business Blog

Trash Talking

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Some things you’d expect to find in a trash can: last night’s potato peelings, the casserole that looked so promising in the cookbook photo, and Oscar the Grouch. But if you run a business, the one...
Business Blog

Justin, Demi, Selena, Rihanna - and COPPA

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It's not likely we'll succumb to Bieber Fever. We're of a generation more susceptible to the Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu. But a company that ran official fan websites for pop stars may...
Business Blog

Private eyes: Lessons from the rent-to-own webcam cases

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The charges outlined in the FTC’s lawsuits against a software business and seven rent-to-own companies are surprising — and OK, some might say a little creepy. Software on rented computers gave the...
Business Blog

"I always feel like somebody's watching me"

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Paranoid delusion from 80s R&B artist Rockwell? Not necessarily, if he had used a computer from a rent-to-own store. Because according to lawsuits filed by the FTC, many stores — including franchisees...
Business Blog

Where HireRight Solutions went wrong

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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...
Business Blog

In praise of Toby Flenderson

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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...
Business Blog

Speaking of Spokeo: Part 3

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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...
Business Blog

Speaking of Spokeo: Part 1

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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...
Business Blog

A closer look at the Myspace Order: Part 2

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Social network site Myspace promised users it wouldn’t share their personally identifiable information in a way that was inconsistent with the reason people provided the info, without first notifying...
Business Blog

FTC's Myspace case: Part 1

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Have you reviewed your company’s privacy policy lately? The FTC’s proposed settlement with social network Myspace serves as a timely reminder to make sure what you tell people about your privacy...
Business Blog

Data security & COPPA: RockYou like a hurricane

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Are there hotter topics these days than data security and kids’ privacy? An FTC law enforcement settlement with the social networking site RockYou ticks both of those topical boxes and challenges a...
Business Blog

Watch what you're doing with time-barred debts

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Of course, people are responsible for their debts. However, at a certain point, how much time has passed becomes an affirmative defense under state law and creditors can’t prevail in court. But what...
Business Blog

Clearing out our IN box

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We’re glad you’re visiting the BCP Business Center and thanks for your questions. Here are answers to some of your AQs. (Calling them FAQs on a site devoted to truth in advertising doesn’t seem quite...
Business Blog

Collection and protection

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The terms of an FTC settlement apply just to that business, of course. But clued-in companies know there’s a lot that can be learned from someone else’s alleged misstep. The FTC’s law enforcement...
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