FTC Orders Data Brokers to Provide Consumer Data Practices Information

FTC Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security

On December 18, the FTC issued orders requiring nine data brokerage companies to provide information about (i) the nature and sources of the consumer information the data brokers collect, (ii) how they use, maintain, and disseminate the information, and (iii) the extent to which the data brokers allow consumers to access and correct their information or to opt out of having their personal information sold. The FTC states that it plans to use the data to study privacy practices in the data broker industry, and to make recommendations as to how the industry could improve its privacy practices. Earlier this year, members of the House and Senate issued separate requests for similar material. The brokers targeted by the various requests and orders overlap only in part.