1. The FTC is actively monitoring online privacy.
It is clear from the aggressiveness at the FTC that online privacy is on their radar. If you were the FTC and you wanted to fight against perceived violations of online privacy, wouldn’t you start at the largest companies and go from there?
2. Facebook, Google and others serve as the poster child of what not to do.
The FTC is using Google and Facebook as the poster children of what not to do; namely, say that you are protecting online privacy and then share information with others without a users consent.
3. You need to inform when you change privacy settings.
When you make changes to your privacy policy, not only do you need to make sure that it is in compliance with what the FTC has laid out in the Facebook case, you must also make sure that you inform those that the policy change affects. With informing them of the change, you also need to make sure that you receive their consent on the policy change.
4. When you say that you are going to protect information, you need to do it.
The most blatant violation you could make, as with Facebook, is when you make a claim that you are going to protect online information, you need to do it. A sound online privacy policy is crucial to your company’s protection. From there, you must take active steps to protect online privacy.
5. Your company needs to prepare now to avoid Facebook’s situation.
How is your online privacy policy? Is it time for some Spring cleaning? Do you need a checkup? Do an assessment, see the warning signs from the crackdown at Facebook, and contact an online privacy attorney today.
