Does your website have a Facebook “Like” button? Is your website, mobile site or mobile app directed at adults but attracts children under age 13? Pull out your pens. The Wall Street Journal reports that today FTC is expected to issue new rules proposed last fall to protect children online and on mobile devices. The new (...) [Read More]
When is Advertising Invasive or Just “Creepy”?
March 10, 2012
Cookies are one of my favorite things. Usually, this refers to the oatmeal raisin variety rather than those tiny bits of computer code that empower websites to remember a user’s login, keep items in a shopping cart and greet the user by name when she returns. Warm and fuzzy, right? Sometimes, not so much. I (...) [Read More]
What is Protected as “Private” Online?
March 10, 2012
Less than one might think. Online privacy focuses on the use of personal information and how it is contributed, collected, shared and used by the user and other people and companies providing web services. “Personally Identifiable Information” (a.k.a. “PII”) is protected by a web of laws – but non-personally identifiable information collected by many websites (...) [Read More]
Undressing Online: Managing User Privacy in an Interactive World
December 16, 2011
The evolution of digital and social marketing makes it easier than ever for agencies and marketers to target consumers. But there are gaping legal pitfalls. Because of lax or downright misleading privacy policies, some of the largest online players – including Facebook, Twitter and Google – have bull’s-eyes on their backs; and the Federal Trade (...) [Read More]
What is a Flash cookie and why should we worry?
November 9, 2011
Starting with the basics, what is a “Flash cookie” you ask? They are files known as LSOs (local shared objects) installed on your browser by websites that use Adobe Flash. Similar to HTML cookies (hence the Flash cookie name), an LSO stores data such as graphics, usually for user convenience so graphics and video files load more rapidly upon a (...) [Read More]
