FTC Releases Annual Privacy and Data Security Update

The FTC recently released its annual privacy and data security update, highlighting the FTC’s privacy and data security related enforcement actions and activities during 2019. 

As reported in the update, the FTC’s enforcement actions during the past year addressed a wide range of privacy and data security issues, including: (i) spam and spyware; (ii) identity theft; (iii) credit reporting and financial privacy; (iv) the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Cross-Border Privacy Rules System; (v) children’s online privacy; and (vi) Do Not Call provisions related to telemarketing.  The enforcement actions were brought against companies in a variety of industries, including social media, ad tech, the mobile app ecosystem, financial institutions, a major consumer reporting agency, debt collectors, a credit repair company, a company operating an alleged student loan debt relief scheme, software providers, and major technology companies.