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Feds investigating makers of cell-phone apps for kids

More than 20 percent of the apps examined included links to social media services, meaning children could post comments, photos, or videos that could harm their reputations or offend other people.

The government is investigating whether software companies that make cell phone apps have violated the privacy rights of children by quietly collecting personal information from mobile devices and sharing it with advertisers and data brokers, the Federal Trade Commission said Dec. 10.

Such apps can capture a child’s physical location, phone numbers of their friends, and more.

The FTC described the marketplace for mobile applications—dominated by online stores operated by Apple and Google—as a digital danger zone with inadequate oversight over online privacy. In a report by the FTC’s own experts, it said the industry has grown rapidly but has failed to ensure that the privacy of young consumers is adequately protected.…Read More

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How a lone grad student scooped the government—and what it means for your online privacy

(Editor’s note: As the FTC tries to protect consumers’ online privacy—by publishing a report targeting the data-collection practices of mobile apps for kids, for instance, and launching a voluntary Do Not Track program for tech companies—an investigative report from the nonprofit journalism service ProPublica reveals how hamstrung the agency is in these efforts. Here’s ProPublica’s report, which was co-published with Wired.)

Jonathan Mayer had a hunch.

A gifted computer scientist, Mayer suspected that online advertisers might be getting around browser settings that are designed to block tracking devices known as cookies. If his instinct was right, advertisers were following people as they moved from one website to another even though their browsers were configured to prevent this sort of digital shadowing. Working long hours at his office, Mayer ran a series of clever tests in which he purchased ads that acted as sniffers for the sort of unauthorized cookies he was looking for. He hit the jackpot, unearthing one of the biggest privacy scandals of the past year: Google was secretly planting cookies on a vast number of iPhone browsers. Mayer thinks millions of iPhones were targeted by Google.…Read More

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Government urges more info on kids’ apps

The FTC is especially aggressive protecting the privacy rights of children.

Who is monitoring the apps that kids use on their phones? The government complained Feb. 16 that software companies producing games and other mobile applications aren’t telling parents what personal information is being collected from kids and how companies are using it.

Apps could quietly be collecting a child’s location, phone number, call logs, and lists of friends, said a report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC blamed the companies that make the apps, and the online stores that sell them, for failing to explain where that information might be recorded, for how long, and who would have access to it.

“As gatekeepers of the app marketplace, the app stores should do more,” the report said. “This recommendation applies not just to Apple and Google, but also to other companies that provide a marketplace for kids’ mobile apps.”…Read More

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Intel Settles With F.T.C. On Antitrust

The New York Times reports that Intel agreed to refrain from a host of business practices to settle accusations of anticompetitive behavior in the market for computer processing and graphics chips, under a settlement announced Aug. 4 with the Federal Trade Commission. Capping several settlements by Intel, the agreement resolves regulators’ complaints that the company thwarted the efforts of Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, and other competitors. But it was unclear whether Intel was any worse off for having been charged with flexing its monopoly muscles. The company has thrived in many ways since the actions came to light. The settlement prohibits Intel from paying customers to buy its computer chips exclusively or paying them to reject chips from other manufacturers. It also prohibits Intel from redesigning its chips purely to harm a competitor.

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Schools fall victim to P2P security breaches

Sharing files over unsecured P2P networks can result in data breaches.

Peer-to-peer file sharing in schools and colleges has come under scrutiny again after a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) probe turned up massive security breaches that made student grades, Social Security numbers, and medical records accessible to anyone connected to the peer-to-peer networks at several institutions.…Read More

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Feds release cyber safety booklet

Teens should know that there are consequences to their actions.

A new booklet released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other government agencies helps parents and teachers steer kids safely through the online and mobile-phone worlds.

The booklet, titled “Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online” was unveiled Dec. 15 at Jefferson Middle School in Washington, D.C., by FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski. At the middle school, which is known for its emphasis on science and technology, the officials met with students and teachers to discuss online safety.

“The conversations that make kids good digital citizens aren’t about the technology; they’re about communicating your values as a parent,” said Leibowitz. “Teaching kids to treat others as they’d like to be treated online is key. Net Cetera tells you how to start those conversations—even if you think your kids are more tech-savvy than you are.”…Read More

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