Matt Reynolds reports: Publishers of “World of Warcraft” and other blockbuster video games make millions by “deceptively and unfairly” charging customers for an after-sale security product to protect their private information from hackers, a class action claims in Federal Court. Lead plaintiff Benjamin Bell sued Blizzard Entertainment, of Irvine, and its corporate parent, Santa Monica-based…
Supreme Court Weighing Genetic Privacy
David Kravets reports: Supreme Court justices are to meet privately Friday to weigh whether they will hear a major genetic-privacy case testing whether authorities may take DNA samples from anybody arrested for a serious crime. The case has wide-ranging implications, as at least 21 states and the federal government have regulations requiring suspects to give…
Lawmakers Release Information About How Data Brokers Handle Consumers’ Personal Information
From Rep. Ed Markey: A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), co-Chairmen of the Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, today released responses to letters sent to nine major data brokerage companies querying each about how it collects, assembles and sells consumer information to third parties. The companies –Acxiom,…
Personal Info Of Hundreds Of Philly Voters Dumped On Street Corner
Bruce Gordon reports: The privacy of hundreds upon hundreds of Philadelphia voters may have been violated this week, when piles of documents used in “Get Out The Vote” calls were left sitting on a Philly street corner. A woman who identified herself only as “Eileen” showed us cell phone pictures of documents piled in, on…
Companies that Own and Manage Payday Lending and Check Cashing Stores to Settle FTC Charges That They Tossed Sensitive Consumer Data into Trash Dumpsters
Well, you read it here already, but now the FTC has officially announced its settlement with PLS Financial and Payday Loan Store over dumping of customer data.
Programming Note
I’m back, I hope.