Web Tracker Settles With FTC

Compete Inc. will have to get consumers' permission to track their online movements

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/23/2012 10:45:37 AM

Web tracker Compete Inc. has settled with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that it broke the law by tracking online users, collecting their personal data, and not disclosing how much it was collecting or honoring its promises to protect the data.

The company, which sold the data to clients trying to boost Web traffic and sales, has agreed to obtain consumers' express consent before collecting any data from software downloaded onto their computers.

Compete got consumers to download the software by saying they would be part of a consumer panel and could win rewards while sharing their opinions. The software collected usernames, passwords, search terms and even credit card info, security codes and Social Security numbers, according to the FTC.

While the company claimed all data was stripped of personal info and it took reasonable security measures, the FTC said those claims were false and deceptive because the company "failed to remove personal data before transmitting it; failed to provide reasonable and appropriate data security; transmitted sensitive information from secure websites in readable text; failed to design and implement reasonable safeguards to protect consumers' data; and failed to use readily available measures to mitigate the risk to consumers' data."

The company will have to submit to a third-party audit of its information security practices for the next 20 years.