On the same day that consumer groups called for “Do Not Track” lists to preserve consumer privacy, AOL pre-emptively announced a new service that they say will let users opt out of receiving targeted ads. “Choosing to opt out sends a cookie to a user’s computer that blocks the ads from appearing. AOL’s system prevents the deletion of the opt-out cookie.”
Government Policy
CPSC Tells Companies, "Don't Recall Products On Your Own"
By 11.1.07
A CPSC spokeswoman said this week that Wal-Mart’s independent recall of lead-tainted toy animals on October 19th was all well and good, but that they should have included more information that consumers need in order to act quickly—including how many products were sold, when they were sold and at what other retailers, and the name of the manufacturer. Said the spokeswoman, “We are not big fans of when companies handle recall announcements independently of the agency. It can cause confusion and doesn’t always provide consumers with the information they need.”
Should There Be A "Do Not Track" List For Internet Users?
By 11.1.07
Several consumer groups have joined together to request that the FTC implement a “Do Not Track” list for online use, which would allow Internet users to request that they be told in advance any time their online patterns are being tracked for advertising purposes. They submitted a formal request today, before the FTC’s 2-day workshop begins tomorrow where it will “study the increasing use of tracking technology to target online ads.”
By 10.31.07
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Nancy Nord fights back against those calling for her resignation with an open letter posted to the CPSC’s website. Go get ’em tiger. [CPSC]
Halloween "Ugly Teeth" Recalled For Lead Contamination
By 10.31.07
We already mentioned this in our lead recall update, but we feel it bears repeating because its so effed-up. Some “ugly teeth” (as in those things your child is supposed to put in his or her mouth to make their teeth look scary for Halloween), have been recalled because they are full of lead.
Woman Embezzled $2.89 Million To Finance Shopping Addiction
By 10.31.07
Shopping addiction is really sad, especially when it compels otherwise normal people to do something insane like steal $2.89 million dollars just to buy shoes and jewelry.
Washington Has Had Enough Of CPSC Chair Nancy Nord
By 10.31.07
It seems that more than a few people in Washington have had just about enough of Nancy Nord and her whole “No, don’t make my agency regulate the industry its supposed to regulate” thing. Nancy has come out against currently proposed legislation that would give the CPSC both more money and more power, because she says it would make consumers “less safe” by overwhelming her office with complaints about trivial stuff.
Don't Open Email From FTC "Fraud Department"—It's Virusy
By 10.31.07
The FTC has made a big to-do about fighting spammers and identity thieves, so naturally the underworld’s response has been to release a spoof FTC email into the world that is loaded with bad virus things that will attempt to steal your personal info. The FTC is urging everyone to not open this email. But you already don’t open unfamiliar attachments from people you don’t know, right? If you answered “No,” we have a shrink-wrapped hard drive from Best Buy we’d love to sell to you.
Woman Exploited Bug On QVC Website To Steal Over $400k In Merchandise
By 10.31.07
A North Carolina woman named Quantina Moore-Perry pleaded guilty to wire fraud last week for stealing $412,000 worth of merchandise from television retailer QVC in 2005. She discovered and exploited a bug in QVC’s online ordering system, where she would still receive the merchandise without being charged if she canceled the order immediately after placing it. She would then sell the items on eBay.
Airport Security Lapses Revealed On PBS Exposé
By 10.31.07
The latest episode of PBS’s Exposé shows local new investigators uncovering three different chasms in airport security. At one airport, a graveyard shift security guard lets in employees and delivery guys without doing a security screening, how easy it is to walk up to a regional commercial jet, and a woman with a IED taped to her leg getting past the TSA. The full show is available for free online.
By 10.31.07
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Counterfeit “Square D” Circuit Breakers (fire), Oki Data Americas C9600 Digital Color Printers (shock), Target Recalls Home Patio Sets (falling), President’s Choice Chocolate Chunk Brownie Cookie (undeclared milk).
IRS Grants Tax Relief To California Wildfire Victims
By 10.30.07
The IRS is extending deadlines for those of you within the Presidental Disaster Area caused by the wildfires.
Taxpayers in the Presidential Disaster Area — consisting of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties — will have until Jan. 31, 2008, to file returns, pay taxes and perform other time-sensitive acts.
Kmart Worker Who Put Rat Poison In Ground Beef Sentenced To 1 Year House Arrest
By 10.30.07
The pissed off Kmart worker who tried to get revenge against the store by putting rat poison in the ground beef has been sentenced to a year of house arrest, plus $4,000 in restitution to Kmart.
China Arrests 774 People Over Safety Issues
By 10.30.07
China has arrested nearly 800 people over the past two months in a “nationwide crackdown on the production and sale of tainted food, drugs and agricultural products,” writes the New York Times. The country announced the number officially today on their website, but did not provide details on the violations involved. The announcement is part of a larger campaign to not only rehabilitate China’s image around the world, but to address concerns that its domestic products are even less likely to be safe.
USDA Says Defunct Canadian Meatpacker Was Source Of Recent E.coli Beef Contaminations
By 10.30.07
The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service has used “DNA fingerprints” to trace the source of recent U.S. outbreaks of contaminated beef back to one shoddy supplier in Alberta, Canada. The company most likely responsible is Rancher’s Beef, Ltd, which went out of business on August 15th, but not before helping sink Topps and contributing to nearly 100 illnesses in the U.S. and Canada.
Top 10 Consumer Frauds
By 10.29.07
An estimated 30.2 million Americans were victims of fraud last year, which is about 13.5% of the adult population, according to the just released results of the 2005 FTC Consumer Fraud Survey. (Yes, it takes them two years to get the results out the door).
F.C.C. To Strike Down Sole Provider Cable Deals for Apartments
By 10.29.07
The FCC is slated Wednesday to nullify and bar exclusive agreements between cable companies and apartment buildings. Currently, in cases where such arrangements exist, consumers can only choose the cable provider their landlord inked the deal with. The FCC hopes is to increase competition and lead to lower prices for consumers. Verizon and AT&T, which have started offering their own video services, lobbied heavily for the action.
