From: ZDNet
Summary: Twelve US companies, including Level 3 Communications and BitTorrent, agreed to settle FTC charges that they falsely claimed to be in compliance with an international privacy framework known as the US-EU Safe Harbor.
By Larry Barrett for Between the Lines
The FTC this week announced that a dozen US companies including Apperian, BitTorrent and Level 3 Communications have agreed to settle a complaint alleging that they falsely claimed to be in compliance with an international privacy regulation that allows them to transfer consumer data from the European Union to the US.
Mobile application management software vendor Apperian, BitTorrent, the peer-to-peer file-sharing protocol, DataMotion, an encrypted email and secure file transport platform provider, and Level 3 Communications were joined by eight other companies including the Super Bowl-bound Denver Broncos and two other National Football League teams.
The FTC claimed that the 12 companies “deceptively claimed” to hold valid and current certifications under the US-EU Safe Harbor framework and, in at least three of the complaints, doubled down with unsubstantiated claims that they also held certifications under the US-Swiss Safe Harbor framework.
This week’s reprimand amounts to nothing more than a slap on the wrist and an admonishment to the 12 companies – and others – that the FTC is serious about preventing companies from misrepresenting their adherence to the privacy policies.
Leave a Reply