Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez told a Senate committee on Wednesday that the FTC has remained vigilant in tightening data security and protecting privacy, settling 50 cases involving companies that the commission fingered for failing to “provide reasonable protections for consumers personal information.”
The actions “have halted harmful data security practices; required companies to accord strong protections for consumer data,” Ramirez told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.
Citing numerous data breaches and warning of a growing danger to consumers, Ramirez said that the FTC has used its deception authority to prompt companies to better safeguard data.
Most recently, the FTC forged settlement agreements with Fandango and Credit Karma prohibit them “from making misrepresentations about privacy and security” and requires that they “implement comprehensive information security programs and undergo independent audits for the next 20 years.”