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Bloomberg Law quotes Michelle Cohen following FTC’s crackdown on “Stalking” Apps

Firm News
Oct 24, 2019

Bloomberg Law quotes Michelle Cohen following FTC’s crackdown on “Stalking” Apps

FTC Bars Sale of ‘Stalking’ Apps in New Settlement (2)

By: Bloomberg Law

A software company can’t sell “stalking” apps that monitor devices unless it ensures they’re only used for legitimate purposes, the Federal Trade Commission said in the agency’s first action against stalkerware.

The commission Oct. 22 said it reached a proposed settlement with software manufacturer Retina-X Studios LLC and its owner, James N. Johns, Jr., to resolve claims that the company’s products compromised consumers’ privacy and the security of devices on which the apps were installed. The company sold subscriptions to three apps before it stopped selling them in 2018, the FTC said.

The proposed settlement is a “sign that the FTC is concerned about surreptitious monitoring and failure to make disclosures,” Michelle Cohen, a partner and head of Ifrah Law PLLC’s privacy and data security practice, said.


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