FTC Releases 2014 Privacy and Data Security Update, Touting Its Efforts and Achievements in Protecting Consumer Privacy

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released its 2014 Privacy and Data Security Update, summarizing the FTC’s major enforcement actions, policy initiatives, rules, reports, workshops, and outreach efforts in the privacy and data security arenas from approximately January 2013 until March 2014. In the 2014 Update, the FTC underscores its commitment to educating consumers, businesses and other stakeholders through its publications and roundtables on how to guard consumer privacy expectations and comply with applicable federal laws. Education, however, is accompanied by enforcement, and the FTC includes a long-list of recent actions against individuals and enterprises, which demonstrates that the FTC is not shy about using its broad regulatory authority to protect consumer privacy. Of major note were the FTC’s actions against companies for unfair or deceptive trade practices; its settlements with U.S. businesses for falsely asserting compliance with the U.S.-E.U. Safe Harbor Framework; the FTC’s updates to the COPPA regulatory rule; and its continued efforts to take telemarketers to task for violating the Do-Not-Call provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule.