All posts tagged: FTC

AI company deleted OKCupid user photos, data after FTC scrutiny

AI company deleted OKCupid user photos, data after FTC scrutiny

Published by Sam Flores

April 20 : Artificial intelligence company Clarifai said this month it had deleted 3 million OkCupid user photos and facial-recognition models trained on them after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission settled with the dating site over privacy violations. OkCupid settled with the FTC in late March for providing photos and demographic data to train Clarifai’s facial-recognition models in 2014, but the settlement drew criticism from some Democrats who alleged it did not go far enough. The incident reflects how AI has become a political flashpoint ahead of U.S. congressional elections, as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to promote American dominance in the industry. Clarifai certified to the FTC on April 7 that it had deleted the data, according to a document seen by Reuters. COMPANY DELETES MODELS AND DATA The company also told the office of U.S. Representative Lori Trahan on April 16 that it had deleted any models trained on the data and had not shared the data with third parties, her office said.  The Democrat from Massachusetts called the confirmation “a step in the …

FTC reports a surge in 0M job fraud – here’s how to vet listings, according to recruiters

FTC reports a surge in $220M job fraud – here’s how to vet listings, according to recruiters

Published by skeptic

LinkedIn / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. Job hunting can be grueling.  Endlessly scrolling job boards. Sending another resume seemingly into the void. So when a text message from a recruiter arrives directly to your phone promising flexibility, great benefits, and a big paycheck, you might think it’s a gift from the universe.  More likely, it’s a scammer targeting you for money, personal information, or free labor. Job scammers made off with about $220 million in the first half of 2024, alone, according to the latest data available from the Federal Trade Commission. In a blog post, the agency also noted that most people don’t report fraud, so this is likely a sliver of reality.  Also: I’m a tech professional, and an AI job scam almost fooled me – here’s how I caught on “I think we’re seeing a high number of job scams right now because of the soft labor market, and unfortunately, scammers are trying to take advantage of these vulnerable job seekers,” said Priya …

FTC doesn’t fine OkCupid for sharing users’ personal data

FTC doesn’t fine OkCupid for sharing users’ personal data

Published by skeptic

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against OkCupid and Match Group Americas (both owned by Match Group, Inc.), following OkCupid’s alleged sharing of user data. But the agency isn’t fining the popular dating app. The FTC alleged that OkCupid disclosed the personal information of nearly 3 million users, including their photos and locations, to an unauthorized third party, the AI company Clarifai. SEE ALSO: Match vs. eharmony: Which dating app is worth your money? According to the FTC’s complaint, in Sept. 2014, Clarifai asked Humor Rainbow, OkCupid’s former owner and current Match Group Inc. subsidiary, for large datasets of OkCupid photos. There wasn’t a business relationship with Clarifai and Humor Rainbow, but the OkCupid founders were financial investors in Clarifai. Hookup apps for everyone AdultFriendFinder — readers’ pick for casual connections Hinge — popular choice for regular meetups Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Humor Rainbow then gave Clarifai access not just to photos, but also to …

FTC Imposes 5-Year Ban On GM Disclosing Geolocation, Driver Data To Consumer Reporting Agencies

FTC Imposes 5-Year Ban On GM Disclosing Geolocation, Driver Data To Consumer Reporting Agencies

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized an order banning General Motors (GM) from disclosing consumers’ geolocation and driver behavior data to consumer reporting agencies for a period of five years, the agency said in a Jan. 14 statement. The FTC had filed a complaint against GM and its subsidiary OnStar LLC in January 2025. GM “collected, used, and sold drivers’ precise geolocation data and driving behavior information from millions of vehicles—data that can be used to set insurance rates—without adequately notifying consumers and obtaining their affirmative consent,” the agency said at the time. GM was encouraging customers to sign up for its OnStar connected vehicle service and the OnStar Smart Driver feature through a “misleading enrollment process,” the FTC said at the time. During enrollment, the company did not “clearly disclose” that collected information—including data regarding speeding, late-night driving, and instances of hard braking—would be sold to third parties such as consumer reporting agencies, the commission said. This information was used by reporting agencies to compile …

Instacart to pay M to settle FTC claims it deceived consumers

Instacart to pay $60M to settle FTC claims it deceived consumers

Published by skeptic

Instacart will pay $60 million in refunds to settle allegations by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that it deceived consumers with false advertising. The federal agency alleged Instacart misled consumers with unlawful tactics, causing them to pay higher fees while also denying refunds. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stated Instacart’s “free delivery” claims are misleading because customers are still required to pay a mandatory service fee, which can add up to 15% to their total order. The agency also said the delivery platform’s “100% satisfaction guarantee” promise is false because it implies it will provide full refunds when consumers are not fully satisfied with their orders, which is typically not the case when people receive late deliveries or unprofessional service. Additionally, Instacart hid the refund option from the “self-service” menu that consumers use to report problems with their orders, making people believe they could only get a credit toward a future order rather than a refund, the FTC claimed. Instacart also failed to clearly disclose terms relating to the Instacart+ membership enrollment process, the agency …