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This week is Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) Privacy Awareness Week, held annually to raise global awareness about privacy issues. This year’s theme “Protecting Privacy is Everyone’s Responsibility,” is part of what drives the FTC to act on behalf of consumers and businesses every day. Here are a few recent FTC efforts on privacy.

Over the past year or so, the FTC has helped raise people’s awareness about a cryptocurrency blackmail scam, a deceptive personal computer health check, the importance of clearing personal data before selling a car, and the privacy implications of genetic testing kits.

For businesses, which play a big role in keeping your information safe, the FTC created a Cybersecurity for Small Business campaign. This campaign helps give millions of small business owners and non-profit managers the information they need to know – and teach their employees – about things like phishing, ransomware, and vendor security.

The FTC has also brought cases to help protect your personal information – and your children’s privacy. The agency recently got a $5.7 million civil penalty with the company behind a popular free app Musical.ly, now known as TikTok, which collected kids’ personal information without parental consent. The FTC also sued an online game and fashion site for kids, i-Dressup.com, that didn’t get parental consent or have reasonable procedures to protect kids’ data. The orders in both cases require the companies to change their practices.

Of course, the FTC has lots more information on privacy – both for consumers and for businesses, and you can order free FTC publications at ftc.gov/bulkorder. And stay tuned for the FTC’s fourth annual PrivacyCon 2019 on June 27, where you’ll hear the latest on a wide range of privacy and security issues.

To see where your information goes, watch this video.

And for information about APPA and Privacy Awareness Week, visit www.privacyawarenessweek.org.

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Topics
Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts

9 Comments

ktazevedo
May 22, 2019
Thank you, FTC. It's reassuring to know a governmental agency has my back. I'm sharing this as far as possible.
Silent audible…
May 22, 2019
This is so sad.But so good to know and just to be aware. What is this is it using misusing stealing invasion of privacy .no one but the one you do transaction with has the use of this information. Is it not trespassing on private property or the like for people that are not addressed in the transaction of the goods. What is the personal right to your own information.personal information is the prosperity of the personal owner. Is there not a "no solicitation or trespassing on or of private property? Thanks fo working this issue.
Emr
May 22, 2019
Thanks FTC. Thought provoking information.
EPZEN
May 22, 2019
Just because I own a smartphone and use social media doesn’t seem rightful kind to use and share my private information. Should me against the law, especially without my permission on each individual business and transaction as well as post, comments, articles shared and advertising tracking. I receive tons on spam emails that contain vulgar and contain pornographic images and profanity. I don’t visit sites like that are get near it. Are they selling false information as well and if so something needs to be done to stop sharing of email address and private telephone numbers as well. Thank you CTC and I do read your emails, as I subscribed.
clickedthelinks
May 22, 2019
Got a captcha reuse error on last comment. The link below the video goes to what looks like a user's cache file.
Rebecca
May 22, 2019
A pharmacy should not be sharing your prescription information. That is medical information and it is against HIPAA law to share such information let alone sell such information to a non-authorized third party. Such violations can result in a $10,000 fee and even jail time.
Don't use your…
May 24, 2019
Need a simple all inclusive connect To forward all multitude of victimizations so such long term damages do not continue getting worse code greenmail blackmail
Larr. Don't us…
May 24, 2019
Big brother is watching...more closely than we think. Cyberspace has more control over us than the capacity to manage, control, and protect our identity.
Wolf_girl101
September 01, 2019
for me all I have to do is go on kids mode =/

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