FTC Gets $1 million For COPPA Violation

The FTC has accepted a settlement of a $1 million civil penalty for alleged COPPA violations from Xanga.com, which is highest amount yet for an alleged COPPA violation.

State Security Breach Notification Laws

Currently, thirty-four states have security breach notification laws:

Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Louisiana
Maine
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin

POSSIBLE PRIVACY BREACH AT HEWLETT-PACKARD

According to Reuters, a former Hewlett-Packard board member, Thomas Perkins, has asked the U.S. Attorney for Northern California, the U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York, the FTC and the FCC to look a into possible deliberate privacy breach at the company.

Apparently directors' and journalists' private phone records were accessed, according to Perkins' lawyer, Viet Dinh.

The California Attorney General is investigating.

Hewlett Packard had no comment.

Bank to Pay $50 Million for Violating Drivers' Privacy

According to EPIC, a bank has been ordered to pay $50 million by a federal District Court for violating the Drivers Privacy Protection Act.

EPIC states that frmo 2000 to 2003, Fidelity Federal Bank & Trust bought 656,600 names and addresses for use in direct marketing from the from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

In 2004, the District Court ruled the plaintiff had to show actual damages in order to receive DPPA. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that finding.