Legal Resources
Mobile Security: Potential Threats and Solutions
June 4, 2013A public forum to address malware, viruses and similar threats facing users of smartphones and other mobile technologies
Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule: A Staff Report on Recommendations to the Commission On Proposed Amendments
April 29, 2013A staff report on proposed amendments to the Mail Order Rule
Mystery Shopper Survey on Entertainment Ratings Enforcement (2013)
March 25, 2013Undercover mystery shopper survey follow-up to September 2000 Report, "Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children: A Review of Self-Regulation and Industry Practices in the Motion Picture, Music Recording & Electronic Game Industries"
Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book (2012)
February 26, 2013Report analyzing consumer complaints received by the FTC in 2012, including a list of the Top 10 Consumer Complaints and complaint data by state and metropolitan area
Mobile Privacy Disclosures: Building Trust Through Transparency
February 1, 2013FTC staff report recommending ways that key players in the mobile marketplace, including mobile platforms, developers, advertising networks, analytics companies, and trade associations, can better inform consumers about their data practices.
A Review of Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents: Follow-Up Report
December 21, 2012Results of a comprehensive study of food and beverage industry marketing expenditures and activities directed to children and teens
Mobile Apps for Kids: Disclosures Still Not Making the Grade
December 10, 2012A follow-up report by FTC staff outlining the results of a 2012 survey about disclosures in mobile apps for children; discussing the operation of in-app interactive features; and urging industry to take steps so that parents have easier access to the information they need to determine what data is being collected from their children, how it's being shared, and who will have access to it
The Big Picture: Comprehensive Online Data Collection
December 6, 2012An FTC workshop to explore the consumer privacy implications of comprehensive online data collection
Enforceable Codes of Conduct: Protecting Consumers Across Borders
November 29, 2012An FTC forum focusing on how government entities, businesses, consumer groups, and others are developing and administering voluntary procedures to protect consumers in cross-border commerce
Robocalls: All the Rage (Robocall Summit)
October 18, 2012A one-day public event to address the rapid rise in illegal robocalls, including a report on the current state of robocall technology, law enforcement issues, and an exploration of potential technological solutions
In Short: Advertising & Privacy Disclosures in a Digital World
May 30, 2012Following up on the FTC's 2000 "Dot Com Disclosures" publication, a national workshop to consider the need for new guidance concerning effecting advertising and privacy disclosures in online and mobile environments
Drip Pricing
May 21, 2012FTC workshop to examine the economic implications of drip pricing, the practice of advertising only part of a product’s price and reveal other charges later as the customer goes through the buying process
Paper, Plastic . . . or Mobile
April 26, 2012FTC workshop to examine the use of mobile payments in the marketplace and how this emerging technology impacts consumers
Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: Recommendations for Businesses and Policymakers
March 26, 2012FTC report calling for privacy by design, simplified choices for businesses and consumers, and greater transparency about information collection and use
Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book (2011)
February 28, 2012Report listing the top consumer complaints received by the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Database in 2011
Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures Are Disappointing
February 21, 2012FTC staff report featuring the results of a survey of mobile apps for children and concluding that app stores and app developers don’t provide parents with the information they need to determine what data is being collected from their children, how it’s being shared, or who will have access to it.
Forum on Unauthorized Third-Party Charges on Telephone Bills (Cramming)
May 12, 2011Forum on how the government, businesses, and organizations can work together to prevent consumers from being victimized by unauthorized third-party charges on their telephone bills, a practice known as “cramming"
"Congratulations, You’re a Winner!": Lottery, Prize, and Sweepstakes Scams and the Role of Money Transfer Services
May 2, 2011A public workshop to examine strategies for protecting consumers from lottery, prize, and sweepstakes scams, and other forms of fraud that use money transfers as the method of payment.
Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book (2010)
March 8, 2011Report analyzing consumer complaints received by the FTC in 2010, including a list of the Top 10 Consumer Complaints and complaint data by state and metropolitan area
Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Businesses and Policymakers
December 1, 2010A preliminary staff report proposing a framework to balance the privacy interests of consumers with innovation that relies on consumer information to develop beneficial new products and services, including the implementation of a “Do Not Track” mechanism.