Consumer Alerts

Sextortion — when someone threatens to share your intimate images unless you pay — can be stressful and upsetting. And figuring out what to do can be overwhelming. While searching for help, you might

You reported an intimate photo or video shared without your consent. But 48 hours later, the platform hasn’t taken it down or responded to your request. Now what? Report the platform to the FTC at

If someone shares an intimate photo or video of you online without your permission, it can be stressful and upsetting. That’s why the law requires platforms to give you an easy way to submit a

Did someone violate your trust and privacy by sharing your intimate images online without your consent? Or did they digitally alter or create an intimate image of you? You have rights — and online

Having someone share an intimate photo or video of you online without your consent can be stressful and overwhelming. These images, including AI-generated deepfakes, can spread quickly and cause real

In July 2024, the company behind NGL, an anonymous messaging app, agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle charges that the company deceived its customers. The FTC urges affected NGL customers to apply

With so many kids spending time online — gaming, texting, and connecting with friends — parents need tools to help kids make good decisions and stay safe. The FTC has free resources with practical

Online safety starts with protecting your kids’ devices from hackers and scammers. Here are some steps to keep kids safer while they’re on a phone, tablet, or laptop. Consider taking these steps on

Identity theft can happen to anyone, including kids in foster care. But minors typically don’t have credit reports, so they might not even realize they’ve experienced identity theft until they apply

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) gives parents control over the online collection of their children’s personal information. Before a website or app collects personal

Back to school is a great time to start having conversations with your family about creating good online habits. Rather than telling kids what they should or shouldn’t do online, consider making it a

It takes a village of trusted adults to help military kids adapt to new cities and overcome being the new kid in class again. Kids often need that same village of parents, coaches, and teachers to

Kids and video games often go together like peanut butter and jelly. Here’s something else that goes along with some video games: Ads competing for your kid’s attention at every stage of their video

You’re not the only one getting scammy text messages about unpaid toll charges or issues with your Amazon account. Chances are your tweens and teens with phones are getting them, too. Sure, you can

If you don’t know what a loot box is, just ask any kid in your life to explain it. While you’re at it, ask them about the video game Genshin Impact. Then tell them about why the FTC just sued the game

If the young people in your life spend lots of time online — watching videos, playing games and texting friends — do they have the skills to question and evaluate what they find there? The FTC’s new

NGL, an anonymous messaging app popular with teens, is banned from marketing to kids under 18 and must pay $4.5 million dollars to give money back to customers it deceived.

Being online is part of kids’ lives. When they’re online, kids watch and create content, post photos, videos, play games, and share what they’re doing with friends and family. But when they post, play

(View or share the YouTube version of the video.) These days, video games have shops just like online stores. Games like Fortnite, developed by Epic Games, sell gear, character “skins,” and dance