Category: News Roundup

These are brief synopses of news items that have been covered by other sites. They include a few paragraphs and a link to the fully contained article on another site.

Children using technology covered under COPPA

FTC Proposes Significant Changes to Online Protection Rules for Children

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) that would place new restrictions on the use and disclosure of children’s personal information and limit companies from profiting from children’s data. With these proposed changes, the FTC intends for the Act to reflect technological Read More

Rite aid used facial recognition at stores

FTC Bans Rite Aid from Using Facial Recognition for Five Years

The Federal Trade Commission has prohibited Rite Aid from using facial recognition technology for surveillance purposes for five years as part of a settlement of charges that the retailer used the technology improperly. The FTC had accused Rite Aid of failing to implement reasonable procedures and prevent harm to consumers Read More

BlackRock Logo

BlackRock Under Fire for Conflicting ESG Statements to Investors

BlackRock, one of world’s largest asset managers, is facing charges of misrepresenting its ESG efforts to customers. This week, the state of Tennessee filed a consumer protection lawsuit  accusing the firm of making inconsistent statements in regard to its ESG investment strategy. The state’s complaint seeks to charge the investment Read More

Activision Blizzard to Pay $54 Million to Settle Discrimination Suit

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) announced it has reached a $54 million settlement agreement to resolve allegations that gaming company Activision Blizzard discriminated against women at the company. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Blizzard is known for many popular video game franchises, including “Call of Duty,” “World of Read More

BP Claws Back $40 Million in Pay, Claims CEO Misled Board

Oil Giant BP is clawing back $40 million in compensation from former CEO Bernard Looney, who resigned after misleading the board about past relationships with colleagues. Looney resigned as CEO in September after admitting to the board he had not been fully transparent about disclosing past relationships with colleagues when Read More

CFPB Fines Bank of America $12M for Reporting False Data

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has ordered Bank of America to pay a $12 million penalty for submitting false mortgage lending information to the federal government under a long-standing federal law. For at least four years, hundreds of Bank of America loan officers failed to ask mortgage applicants certain Read More

TracFone to Pay $23.5M for Violations of FCC Subsidy Program Rules

Verizon subsidiary TracFone Wireless has agreed to a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission to resolve charges that the telecom company violated the rules of a program intended to help low-income consumers purchase Internet access and phone services at a discount. TracFone has agreed to compliance measures and will pay Read More

FCA adopts anti- greenwashing rules

U.K. Regulator to Adopt Rules to Prevent ‘Greenwashing’

The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority is rolling out a series of regulations intended to crack down on inaccurate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) related claims, known as greenwashing, by providers of investment products to retail investors. The FCA’s measures include putting in place new sustainability disclosure requirements and an Read More

Crypto Exchange, CEO Plead Guilty to AML Violations; Will Pay $4.3 Billion

Binance Holdings, which operates the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance.com, has pleaded guilty and has agreed to pay over $4 billion to resolve the Justice Department’s investigation into violations related to the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), failure to register as a money transmitting business, and the International Emergency Economic Powers Read More

Gree Dehumidifier recalled

Two Execs Convicted in Landmark Product Safety Case

A Los Angeles jury convicted two corporate executives on November 16 of conspiracy and failure to report information related to defective residential dehumidifiers that had been linked to multiple fires. Simon Chu, 68, of Chino Hills, California, and Charley Loh, 65, of Arcadia, California, were convicted of conspiracy to defraud Read More