By Emily Hootkins FTC Proposes ‘Do Not Track’ System for the Web CNET reports that the Federal Trade Commission is endorsing a “Do Not Track” mechanism for the web, reminiscent of its popular “Do Not Call” list. David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, envisions the concept as “a setting similar to a persistent cookie” that would signal whether the consumer is willing to be tracked or receive targeted advertisements. PC Magazine highlights some potential technical difficulties ... Read More...
Archive for the ‘Privacy’ Category
New York Appellate Court Rejects Demand for Facebook Records By Irina Oberman – Edited by Ian C. Wildgoose Brown McCann v. Harleysville Ins. Co. of N.Y., No. 10-00612, 1179 (N.Y.A.D. 4 Dept. Nov. 12, 2010) Slip Opinion The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York affirmed the Supreme Court’s denial of defendant’s motion to compel disclosure of photographs on Facebook and defendant’s motion for authorizedaccess to plaintiff’s Facebook account. The Supreme Court had ruled that defendant’s first request was “overly broad,” ... Read More...
By Esther Kang Google Settles Buzz Class Action Suit for $8.5 Million The New York Times reports that Google has settled a class action suit over privacy violations related to its release of the Buzz application last February. The settlement stipulates that Google will set up an $8.5 million fund for Internet privacy organizations and will educate users about Buzz’s privacy features. Google chose not to compensate individual users because few class members suffered actual damages, and because pro rata ... Read More...
By Dorothy Du Facebook Plans to Fix Privacy Flaw that Allows “Apps” to Share User Information The Wall Street Journal reports that Facebook applications (“apps”) have been transmitting user-IDs to dozens of third parties. These third parties include advertising and data-gathering companies, which use and sell the information. The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that all of the top ten Facebook.com “apps,” including FarmVille and Mafia Wars, are guilty of such actions in violation of their web developer agreements with Facebook. ... Read More...
By Daniel Doktori Philadelphia School District Settles Laptop Spying Case The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Tuesday that the Lower Merion school district has settled with two students whose school-issued laptops had webcams that were remotely activated by school officials. Plaintiff Blake Robbins’ parents initiated the suit in February after a school administrator confronted Robbins of wrongdoing using photo evidence of his home taken from the computer’s webcam. CNN reports that the school agreed to pay $175,000 to the family of ... Read More...
