- On February 24, 2010, the FTC issued a report on the Top Consumer Complaints of 2009. Identity theft was was the most common complaint by a broad margin. Complaints related to “Internet Services” ranked third in total number, accounting for approximately 6.25 percent of all complaints. Within this category, complaints involving Internet Access Services constituted more than half of the filings. Another 40 percent of these complaints related to Internet Information & Adult Services. A copy of the report can be found here.
- This week the FTC notified almost 100 organizations that personal information, including sensitive data about customers and employees, has been shared from the organizations’ computer networks and is available on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. However, receipt of a letter does not necessarily indicate that the FTC has found a violation of its rules. Rather, the notification is part of a recent “sweep of the Internet” conducted by the FTC to understand how peer-to-peer networks affect users’ online privacy. It is unclear whether any remedial action will follow the letters. The FTC’s press release on the matter can be found here.
