Case Study
Facebook Users Like Company’s Defense of Free Speech
Facebook was praised for defending free speech when it went out of its way to defend the...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Cuts Out Contact With Contacts: Smart Move for Privacy
Apple has been lauded for its privacy friendly update to the iOS App store rules to...+ Read more
Case Study
Fan Mod Pushes 3-Year-Old Video Game up the Charts
Bohemia Interactive’s ARMA II game was released in 2009, but the game achieved its...+ Read more
Case Study
Amazon Forced to Own Up to “Orwellian” Mistake
In 2009, Kindle users were furious when they discovered e-Books including George Orwell’s...+ Read more
Case Study
PayPal urged to shape up policies on account freezes and closures
In 2021, PayPal and its subsidiary Venmo drew criticism from a coalition of nearly two...+ Read more
Case Study
Oracle Alienates Security Researchers with Hostile Blog Post
Oracle damaged its relationship with security researchers and customers when its Chief...+ Read more
Case Study
PayPal Flops as Moral Police
In February 2012, PayPal drew criticism from the press and civil liberties groups when it...+ Read more
Case Study
Etsy, YouTube, and Vimeo Commended for Encouraging Informal Resolutions
Rather than simply providing trademark holders with instructions on how to send formal...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Criticized for Censoring ACLU Blog Post About Censorship
Facebook found itself in the middle of another controversy around online speech when it...+ Read more
Case Study
Fitbit Deals with Fireworks after Exposing "Sex Stats"
Fitbit, an online service that allows users to track their exercise habits, found itself...+ Read more
Case Study
Equifax Stock Plummets After Massive, Mishandled Data Breach
Equifax was hammered on multiple fronts after its lax security practices led to a “...+ Read more
Case Study
Uber’s "God View" Causes Users to Lose Faith
Uber was hammered with negative press, a #DeleteUber movement, and Congressional...+ Read more
Case Study
Premom Broke Privacy Promises in a Post-Roe World
The FTC sued Premom —an ovulation tracking app—for breaking “its promises and compromis[...+ Read more
Case Study
ChoicePoint Suffers for Failing to Protect Consumers
In 2005, data broker ChoicePoint paid with its capital, its stock price, and its...+ Read more
Case Study
Katy Perry Ridiculed After Threatening Lawsuit over “Left Shark” Replica
Katy Perry found herself the subject of press ridicule after her lawyers sent a cease-and...+ Read more
Case Study
OnlyFans Ban Leads Sex Workers to Make a New Game Plan
The subscription image and video company OnlyFans faced immediate backlash to its ban on...+ Read more
Case Study
AT&T Accused of “Holding FaceTime Hostage”
AT&T triggered consumer and media outrage when it announced that it would only allow...+ Read more
Case Study
Zoom Tries to Blur its Own Background—Quietly Changes Terms of Service to Allow AI to Train on User Information
Zoom failed to provide its users control over their personal information when it quietly...+ Read more
Case Study
Nationwide group of utility companies ends sale of people’s sensitive information to data brokers
In 2021, the National Consumer Telecom & Utilities Exchange agreed to end the sale of...+ Read more
Case Study
LinkedIn Criticized for Poor Security Practices in Aftermath of Breach
LinkedIn was heavily criticized after hackers obtained nearly 6.5 million passwords and...+ Read more
Case Study
Target Sued, Accused of Lack of Security Focus After Massive Data Breach
Target was hit with a class action lawsuit and widely criticized for its inadequate...+ Read more
Case Study
NebuAd’s Plan to Monitor Internet Use Triggers Outrage
NebuAd’s “deep packet inspection” system, designed to track online activity without...+ Read more
Case Study
T-Mobile Alienates Customers With CEO’s “Binge On” Rant
After tests by the Electronic Frontier Foundation revealed T-Mobile’s “Binge On” service...+ Read more
Case Study
Instagram Receives Worldwide Criticism After Banning Period Photo
Instagram found itself at the center of an international controversy after it removed a...+ Read more
Case Study
Jay-Z App Data Collection “Verges on Parody”
Jay-Z and Samsung were publicly skewered when their Jay-Z Magna Carta App required so...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Wins “Kudos” for Fighting Demand for Millions of Search Records
Google was praised, and its competitors chastised, when in 2005 the company challenged a...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Forced to Repay Purchasers of Unusable Content
In 2007 Google became the target of public outcry when it tried to close down its video...+ Read more
Case Study
Uh oh, Edmodo! Ed-Tech Provider to Pay $6M for COPPA Violation
Education tech tech provider Edmodo had to pay $6 million in fines in 2023 for collecting...+ Read more
Case Study
Uber Hit with Lawsuit for Delayed Notice of Breach
App-based car service Uber was hit with a class action lawsuit after accidentally posting...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Hailed for Launch of Tor Portal
Facebook was applauded for enhancing user security when it launched its own “Tor hidden...+ Read more
Case Study
Sell Data and Say You Didn’t: How Flo Health Got In Trouble with the FTC
The FTC sued Flo Health—a once-popular women’s health app used for tracking reproductive...+ Read more
Case Study
Companies Praised for “Blackout” to Oppose Laws Undermining Online Speech
Google, reddit, Wikimedia, and other online services were widely recognized for standing...+ Read more
Case Study
CyberLock Accused of “Abuse of the Legal System” After Threatening Researcher
Electronic lock maker CyberLock drew harsh criticism for its “ abuse of the legal system...+ Read more
Case Study
Twitter Use Explodes After Embrace of User-Invented Hashtags
Twitter started out as a service that would only produce plain text. When Twitter users...+ Read more
Case Study
Tech Companies Praised for Notifying Users About Data Demands
Tech companies including Facebook, Apple, Google, and Microsoft won acclaim when they...+ Read more
Case Study
Blippy Triggers “Nightmare Scenario” by Accidentally Publishing Credit Card Numbers
In April 2010, Blippy users shared more than they bargained for when a Blippy security...+ Read more
Case Study
MeetMe Pays Up for Hiding That It’s Collecting Location Info
MeetMe was met with a barrage of bad press and sued by the City of San Francisco over its...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Protects Readers of Digital Books
Google helped protect the privacy of its users by supporting the passage of the...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Walks Back Anti-CSAM Feature Over Surveillance Concerns
Apple ultimately took the right step to safeguard user privacy, security, and free speech...+ Read more
Case Study
Tagged Named “World’s Most Annoying Website” for Deceptive E-mails
In 2009, in a misguided attempt to boost user growth, social networking site Tagged sent...+ Read more
Case Study
Open Whisper Systems Praised for Collecting Minimal User Data
Customers and privacy advocates applauded Open Whisper Systems (OWS) after an unsealed...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Defies Government Demand for Backdoor to Massive Acclaim
Following the tragic San Bernardino terrorist shooting, the United States government...+ Read more
Case Study
Sony’s Internal Emails Widely Disseminated After Tantrum over Leak
Sony Pictures Entertainment experienced the full force of the “ Streisand effect ” when...+ Read more
Case Study
OpenAI's ChatGPT Prompts Expensive Lawsuits
OpenAI is facing multiple expensive lawsuits asserting copyright infringement , consumer...+ Read more
Case Study
YouTube Called Out for Collecting "Deeply Private Information"
In 2008, YouTube's practice of collecting "deeply private information " about its users,...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Grilled for Secretly Mapping Customers’ Location
Apple was widely criticized , grilled by the Senate and federal agencies , and sued by...+ Read more
Case Study
Texas Lassos Meta for Illicit Collection of Biometric Information
Meta was forced pay $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by the Texas Attorney...+ Read more
Case Study
Twitter’s Improved Blocking Tools a Welcome Improvement
In 2014, Twitter was applauded for adding more “civility” to the site when it rolled out...+ Read more
Case Study
No Longer A Secret: Zoom Settles with FTC
The FTC finalized a settlemen t in February with Zoom over allegations that the company “...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Criticized for Conducting Secret Experiments on Users
Facebook was lambasted in the press for conducting an “emotional manipulation ” study on...+ Read more
Case Study
Etsy Suffers Privacy “DIY-saster”
In early 2011, online marketplace Etsy suffered a “ social media DIY-saster ” after...+ Read more
Case Study
Never Again, Everalbum
Photo app Everalbum used billions of private, user-uploaded images to train “Ever AI,” a...+ Read more
Case Study
Security Firm RSA Faces Backlash for NSA “Backdoor”
Prominent security firm RSA faced a massive backlash after reports that it has been paid...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Defends Users’ Rights to Remain Anonymous Online
Google stood up for the anonymous speech rights of its users when a wealthy...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Leaves Users in the Dark After Massive Breach
Failing once again to protect its users’ personal information, Facebook was subject to a...+ Read more
Case Study
Clearview AI Faces Legal Storm for Invasive Face Surveillance
What’s now clear for Clearview AI is that its face surveillance product – built by...+ Read more
Case Study
GoodRx Gets a Prescription After Selling Consumers' Health Data
GoodRx is a digital health platform that offers healthcare resources and discounted...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Silences #MeToo Movement Over Content Policies
The internet erupted with criticism about Facebook’s “ complicated ” and even “ mind-...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Praised for Letting Users Order Data “Takeout”
Google has been widely praised for allowing users to export data from Google services for...+ Read more
Case Study
Websites Thanked by the President for Supporting Net Neutrality
Major Internet companies were showered with praise by press and even the U.S. President...+ Read more
Case Study
Medium Tries to Craft “Human and Practical” Policies for Its Platform
In mid-2015, the blogging site Medium introduced a straightforward set of content...+ Read more
Case Study
Google’s Misleading Location-Tracking Practices Leads It To $93 Million Fine
Google agreed to pay $93 million dollars to settle claims from the California Attorney...+ Read more
Case Study
LinkedIn Pays for Spamming Users’ Contact Lists
LinkedIn faced a class action lawsuit and the alienation of potential users for spamming...+ Read more
Case Study
Bank Julius Baer Turns “Secret” Documents into Public Spectacle
Swiss bank Julius Baer saw its plans to prevent disclosure of its leaked corporate...+ Read more
Case Study
AT&T Phoned In Cybersecurity: Suffers Massive Data Breach
AT&T was blasted in the press for its “ sloppy” cybersecurity, questioned by members...+ Read more
Case Study
Yahoo Faces Protests and Lawsuits After Turning Over Dissident Identities to China
Yahoo was subject to lawsuits and protests in the U.S. and elsewhere for turning over...+ Read more
Case Study
Zynga Makes Privacy a Game
Social gaming company Zynga received kudos in 2011 for “making privacy a game” with “...+ Read more
Case Study
International Regulators Say Meta GenAI Generates Major Privacy Concerns
Meta ended up in hot water with international regulators, faced big daily fines, and was...+ Read more
Case Study
Airbnb Bans Hidden Cameras
Following reports that Airbnb hosts were secretly surveilling guests using hidden cameras...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Draws Fire for Going “Down the Dark Road of Censorship”
Apple has been accused of “ going down a dark and scary road ” for rejecting iOS apps...+ Read more
Case Study
All Your Base Are Belong to Us: Strava's Heat Map Firestorm
The exercise-tracking app Strava faced a barrage of criticism after a researcher...+ Read more
Case Study
OpenAI Sued for ChatGPT Farming Personal Information
OpenAI got hit with an expensive class action lawsuit in 2023 for violating privacy...+ Read more
Case Study
Amazon Applauded for Suing to Protect Users
Amazon was praised for its commitment to protecting the privacy of users in 2010 after...+ Read more
Case Study
Netflix Sued After Sending Not-So-Anonymous User Data to Researchers
In 2009, Netflix faced a flood of criticism, a class action lawsuit, and the loss of user...+ Read more
Case Study
Companies Secure Success with HTTPS by Default
Since 2010, tech giants including Google , Yahoo , Twitter , Reddit , Microsoft , and...+ Read more
Case Study
Snapchat Investigated for False Claim that Photos “Disappear Forever”
Snapchat was punished by the FTC for misrepresenting its security and privacy practices...+ Read more
Case Study
Tech Companies Mask Facial Recognition Technology from Law Enforcement
Facing multi-year, high profile campaigns about the dangers of facial recognition from...+ Read more
Case Study
Tesla Accelerates Security Fixes by Cooperating with Researchers
Tesla was able to quickly address a vulnerability in the software for one of its cars by...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Buzz Stung for Exposing Private Contact Details
In early 2010, Google tried to jump on the social networking bandwagon by releasing its...+ Read more
Case Study
Sonic.net Lauded for Reducing Data Retention to Protect Customers
Sonic.net has been widely lauded for cutting its retention period for user logs down to...+ Read more
Case Study
Verizon’s “Supercookie" a “Privacy-Killing Machine”
Verizon faced the wrath of consumers, privacy advocates , and the United States Senate...+ Read more
Case Study
ScanScout Sued After Offering Opt-Out Then Preventing It
In 2011, ScanScout, an online video advertising network, was investigated by the FTC and...+ Read more
Case Study
Samsung’s “Orwellian” Privacy Policy Invites Allegations of "Smart TV" Spying
Samsung faced an FTC complaint as well as a congressional inquiry after reports...+ Read more
Case Study
Citibank Hacked Using “Remarkably Simple Technique”
Citibank suffered a major security breach in 2011 and then faced a second wave of...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Postpones Scanning Proposal After Massive Public Uproar
Apple faced widespread public outcry after it announced that it would automatically scan...+ Read more
Case Study
Muslim Pro Users Delete the App En Masse After Military Sales Revealed
Muslim Pro, a prayer app that has been downloaded 98 million times, came under fire for...+ Read more
Case Study
ASUS Receives FTC Slapdown for Bad Router Security
Hardware company ASUS faced a lawsuit by the FTC after it failed to properly secure...+ Read more
Case Study
Mobile Phone Carriers Slammed for Selling User Geolocation
The FCC fined mobile carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon nearly $200 million...+ Read more
Case Study
Sony Slammed for “Half-Baked Response” to Security Breach
Sony “ will have a long road ahead to win back the trust of gamers ” after a security...+ Read more
Case Study
Lenovo Shamed for PCs Secretly Preinstalled with “Nefarious” Adware
Lenovo was lambasted in the press after security researchers revealed that the PC-maker...+ Read more
Case Study
Viacom Forced to Admit Error in Political Video Fiasco
Viacom faced a lawsuit and media firestorm after it ignored the right to make “fair use”...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook’s “Fake Name” Reporting Option Enrages Users
Facebook was heavily criticized for maintaining a “fake name” reporting option even as it...+ Read more
Case Study
Microsoft Faces “Global Outcry” Over Xbox One DRM
Microsoft was blasted as “ gross, despicable, greedy, pathetic, cowardly and out of touch...+ Read more
Case Study
SafeRent’s Algorithms Accused of Discrimination
A company that creates algorithms that landlords can use to screen tenants, called...+ Read more
Case Study
Spotify’s Problem “Isn’t Privacy, It’s Terrible Communications”
Spotify was widely criticized for the difficult-to-decipher language in an update to its...+ Read more
Case Study
Twitter Publicly Praised After Standing Up for Political Critics
In 2010 Twitter was applauded for standing up for two anonymous users who were frequent...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook’s “Real Name” Policy Generates Global Outrage
Facebook suffered over a year’s worth of bad press after advocates began highlighting the...+ Read more
Case Study
Crisis Text Line with for-profit company is a WTF
Crisis Text Line, a prominent nonprofit mental health hotline, ended its data sharing...+ Read more
Case Study
Vizio Sued Over Smart TV Privacy and Security Flaws
Smart TV manufacturer Vizio found itself in hot water for privacy and security issues...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Censors Expression of LGBTQ Love
Facebook has been criticized for disparities in its treatment of content by created by...+ Read more
Case Study
Microsoft Praised for Building Security into Design
Microsoft’s Security Development Life Cycle methodology , which includes privacy...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Defends Users’ Rights to Remain Anonymous Online
Google stood up for the anonymous speech rights of its users when a wealthy...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Called Out for Repeatedly Censoring Drug Policy Reform Discussion
Facebook has repeatedly faced criticism for censoring discussions of marijuana...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Heavily Criticized for Racially-Biased Search Results
Google received a barrage of negative press after an academic study demonstrated that...+ Read more
Case Study
AOL Embarrassed by Release of Re-Identifiable Data
In 2006, AOL and its Chief Technical Officer learned the hard way that “anonymizing” data...+ Read more
Case Study
Keurig Faces “Tsunami” of Negative Press for Locking Out Third-Party Pods
Amid a “negative public relations tsunami,” Keurig was forced to roll back a redesign of...+ Read more
Case Study
The FTC Called, Consumers Want Their Privacy Back: Amazon Ring allowed Employees to Spy on Customers in Intimate Spaces
The FTC took Amazon Ring to task for compromising people’s privacy by giving employee and...+ Read more
Case Study
Zoom Cowed by Chinese Censorship and Loses User Trust
Zoom has been widely criticized for complying with Chinese government censorship. A U.S...+ Read more
Case Study
Myspace Fined, Sued for Deceptive Privacy Practices
Myspace was hit with a class action lawsuit and an FTC investigation for failing to...+ Read more
Case Study
i-Free Forced to Pull App “Geared Toward Stalkers”
In 2012, app developer i-Free Innovations was forced to pull its controversial iPhone app...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Applauded for Championing First Amendment
Google was praised for “defending freedom” when it refused to comply with an order to...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Hailed for Fighting Overbroad Search Warrants
Facebook was hailed by the media after it “vehemently” opposed a set of warrants from the...+ Read more
Case Study
Reddit’s “Shadowbanning” Criticized for Leaving Users in the Dark
After being targeted by criticism from its own users, reddit was forced to backtrack from...+ Read more
Case Study
Yahoo Applauded for Successfully Fighting Warrantless Demand for E-mail
In 2010 Yahoo was applauded by users and privacy advocates when it successfully fought a...+ Read more
Case Study
WordPress Wins Support for Facing off Against Copyright Abusers
WordPress won support when it sued on behalf of a student investigative journalist...+ Read more
Case Study
Twitter’s Resistance to Gag Order Called a “Remarkable Display of Backbone”
In January 2011, Twitter was applauded for its “remarkable display of backbone” in...+ Read more
Case Study
CarrierIQ Accused of Planting Spyware on Smartphones
Mobile analytics company CarrierIQ and its business partners were hammered with negative...+ Read more
Case Study
Twitter Commended for “Doing the Right Thing” by Suing for Surveillance Transparency
Twitter was commended for challenging government rules preventing it from disclosing...+ Read more
Case Study
Cisco Loudly Condemned for Trying to Silence Security Researcher
In 2005, Cisco’s reputation suffered after it threatened to sue the BlackHat security...+ Read more
Case Study
RadioShack Hammered for Unauthorized Sale of Customer Data
RadioShack was widely condemned when it announced plans to sell tens of millions of...+ Read more
Case Study
Microsoft Pays $20M for Improperly Collecting and Retaining Children’s Information
Microsoft was slapped with $ 20 million in fines in 2023 to settle FTC charges that it...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple “Bites the Fans that Feed It” by Waging Attack on Bloggers
Apple was chastised by Forbes for “ biting the fans that feed it ” after trying to clamp...+ Read more
Case Study
Yelp Cheered for Winning Fight to Protect Identities of Reviewers
Yelp was cheered after it won a public battle to defend the identities of seven users who...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Pushes Back Against Push Notification Demands
Apple revised its law enforcement guidelines to require a search warrant before handing...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple OS Update Lets People Choose, and They Choose Privacy
An April 2021 software update for iOS, which runs on Apple mobile phones and tablets,...+ Read more
Case Study
Evernote Blasted After Note Review "Screw-Up"
Note-taking service Evernote faced swift backlash from users and the press when it...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Forced to Backtrack on Privacy Changes
In 2010, Facebook suffered a backlash by activating “Connections” and “Instant...+ Read more
Case Study
Go Daddy’s Advocacy for Copyright Bill Leads to Boycott
In 2011, the domain registry company Go Daddy’s support of the Stop Online Privacy Act...+ Read more
Case Study
Mobilewalla Walled Off from Selling Sensitive Location Information
The FTC banned data broker Mobilewalla from selling sensitive location information after...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Faces Backlash for Making It Hard to Leave
Facebook users were very unhappy in 2008 when they realized that it was nearly impossible...+ Read more
Case Study
Twitter Triggers “Firestorm of Indignation” After Banning Olympic Journalist
In 2012, Twitter faced allegations of preferential treatment of NBC, which had partnered...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Walks Back Anti-CSAM Feature Over Surveillance Concerns
Apple ultimately took the right step to safeguard user privacy, security, and free speech...+ Read more
Case Study
Chegg Learns a Lesson About Exposing Student and Employee Information
Educational technology company, Chegg, learned a lesson about the dangers of having lax...+ Read more
Case Study
Alexa – Don’t Store Children’s Voices
Amazon had to pay $25 million dollars for improperly collecting children’s voice...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Criticized for Poor Internal Security
Users were outraged and the company’s reputation was tarnished in 2007 when it came to...+ Read more
Case Study
Microsoft Shines in Fight to Bring Data Demands Out of Shadows
Microsoft shined in the press for standing up for users and suing the Department of...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Applauded for Removing DRM from iTunes Music
Apple was showered with praise from users and the press after it announced in 2009 that...+ Read more
Case Study
IRS Use of Facial Recognition Tool Is Deeply Unpopular
In November 2021, the IRS launched identity verification and sign-in procedures to use...+ Read more
Case Study
Retail Tracking Company Forced to Cop to Failed Promises
Nomi Technologies, a company that tracks cell phones using WiFi, was investigated by the...+ Read more
Case Study
Ring Divorces from Law Enforcement
After facing negative media attention , congressional scrutiny , and widespread for...+ Read more
Case Study
Verizon Praised for Resisting Demand for User Information
In 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America obtained a subpoena ordering...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Faces “Nurse-In” over Breastfeeding Photo Policies
In February 2012, Facebook offices were the site of “ nurse-ins ” protesting the social...+ Read more
Case Study
Yahoo Criticized for Ceding to Government Email Scanning Demand
Yahoo faced backlash after it was revealed it had complied with a government demand that...+ Read more
Case Study
iRobot Makes a Privacy Mess With Plans to Sell Home Data
iRobot faced widespread media backlash and consumer outcry when it came to light that the...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Closes the Door on Geofence Warrants
Google announced that it would change the way it stored users’ location history generated...+ Read more
Case Study
Netflix Sued for Retaining Records About Former Customers
In 2012, Netflix settled a class action lawsuit alleging that it retained records about...+ Read more
Case Study
HUD Charges Meta with Perpetuating Housing Discrimination
Meta was charged by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with with...+ Read more
Case Study
Tech Companies Win Privacy Credibility by Supporting NSA Reforms
Technology titans including Yahoo, Apple, and Microsoft won acclaim for consistently...+ Read more
Case Study
Cambridge Apocalyptica: Facebook’s Platform-App Privacy Disaster
Facebook was thrown into full-blown crisis after reports that Cambridge Analytica, a...+ Read more
Case Study
Mobile Phone Carriers Ring Up $20 Million FCC Proposed Penalty for Lax Privacy and Security
The FCC hit Q Link Wireless LLC and Hello Mobile Telecom LLC with a proposed penalty of $...+ Read more
Case Study
LinkedIn Caught Trying to Quietly Loop In User Information to Train AI
LinkedIn became noisy with angry posts when the company was not fully transparent with...+ Read more
Case Study
Ashley Madison Angers Users When “Full Delete” Revealed to Be a Fantasy
The racy online service Ashley Madison received strong public criticism and was dragged...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Lauded for Encrypting Data by Default
Apple garnered high marks from its customers and the press when it bucked government...+ Read more
Case Study
Broken Thumbs Gets a Thumbs-Down for Faulty Child Privacy Safeguards
In August 2011, mobile app maker Broken Thumbs was fined by the FTC and subjected to...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook Lauded for Fighting Government Secrecy Demand
Facebook was lauded after going to court in 2017 to fight a federal gag order that...+ Read more
Case Study
Companies Hailed for Issuing Transparency Reports
Numerous companies , including Apple, Dropbox, Facebook, and Reddit have been applauded...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Cheered for Supporting YouTube Users in Fair Use Fights
Google received widespread praise for announcing it would bankroll some users in their...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Slammed for “Wardriving by Design”
Google found itself in a public relations nightmare when it was revealed in 2010 that the...+ Read more
Case Study
Dating Data: Grindr’s Oversharing of Sensitive User Information
The dating app Grindr found itself embroiled in controversy after reports that the app...+ Read more
Case Study
Tech Giants Praised for Supporting Digital Privacy Protections for Californians
Technology companies including Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, and Google were praised for...+ Read more
Case Study
Meta Faces Criticism for Removal of Abortion Pill Posts
On the same day that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, users on Instagram and...+ Read more
Case Study
Yahoo Breach Jeopardizes Multi-Billion Dollar Acquisition
Yahoo endangered its business prospects after it sat on news of a massive information...+ Read more
Case Study
Better Privacy Ordered for Better Help
BetterHelp is an online mental health platform that connects consumers with licensed...+ Read more
Case Study
Kochava Hit by FTC Lawsuit After Selling Location Info
The FTC sued data broker Kochava in 2022 for selling geolocation data that could identify...+ Read more
Case Study
League of Legends Praised for Re-Engineering Chat to Reduce Harassment
The developer behind the massively popular online multi-player game League of Legends...+ Read more
Case Study
Path “Discovered Phoning Home with Your Address Book”
Path came under harsh criticism when a software developer discovered that the company...+ Read more
Case Study
Civil Rights Groups Criticize Facebook for Censoring Police Shootings
A coalition of 40 tech and racial justice civil rights groups slammed Facebook CEO Mark...+ Read more
Case Study
Instagram Reverses #Curvy Hashtag Ban After User Uproar
Instagram found itself at the center of a controversy in 2015 when it banned tons of...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Widely Praised for Opposing Attorney General’s Assault on Speech
Google received accolades from privacy advocates and the press when it fought the...+ Read more
Case Study
Avvo Gets Rave Reviews for Protecting Anonymous Speech
Online lawyer-rating website Avvo was credited with a “ landmark ” win protecting “your...+ Read more
Case Study
Blue Shield Failed to Shield Users’ Private Health Information
Blue Shield of California inadvertently permitted Google to access the private health...+ Read more
Case Study
Tumblr Slammed for Limiting Visibility of LGBTQ Posts
Tumblr was slammed for having a “complete lack of regard for the LGBT community” after it...+ Read more
Case Study
Instagram's Policy Changes Trigger #instahate
In late 2012, Instagram ignited a massive user backlash when it released a new privacy...+ Read more
Case Study
Microsoft in Hot Water After Search of Hotmail Account
Microsoft was roundly criticized for broadly interpreting its own privacy policy to...+ Read more
Case Study
Coca-Cola Slammed for “Homophobic” Promotion
Coca-Cola was “ slammed by the LGBT community ” after users discovered that the company’s...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook “race blind” content moderation drives away Black users
Facebook came under public fire , many Black users left the platform, and the company was...+ Read more
Case Study
Venmo Called Out for Exposing Sensitive User Purchases
Venmo experienced a privacy emergency and onslaught of bad press when a researcher...+ Read more
Case Study
Yo Ho, No More Data Piracy Life for Software Company Avast
Software company Avast has been forced to pay $16.5 million and stop selling or licensing...+ Read more
Case Study
Google Faces Record Fines for Bypassing Privacy Settings
In 2012, Google agreed to pay a record $22.5 million FTC fine and was hit with multiple...+ Read more
Case Study
Rite Aid Wasn’t Right in Using Face Recognition
Rite Aid had to agree to stop using facial recognition systems for five years and to...+ Read more
Case Study
DuckDuckGo Rewarded for Keeping Privacy Simple
Search engine DuckDuckGo reaped the benefits of having clear and privacy-friendly...+ Read more
Case Study
Hookup Apps Grindr and Blendr Slammed for Security Issues
Location-based dating apps Grindr and Blendr were slammed for failing to protect private...+ Read more
Case Study
FTC Cracks Down on Sale of Data Brokers Selling Geolocation Information
Within a week, the FTC separately accused data brokers X-Mode and InMarket of violating...+ Read more
Case Study
Facebook’s Censors Muslim Users Speaking Out Against Hate
Muslim civil rights leaders expressed anger at Facebook for removing posts that sought to...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Draws Attention to New Products by Fighting Centuries-Old Law
Apple drew attention to its privacy-friendly practices when it refused to comply with a...+ Read more
Case Study
Shady Flashlight App Keeps Millions of Users in the Dark
Goldenshores Technologies, makers of the “Brightest Flashlight Free” Android app, faced...+ Read more
Case Study
CloudFlare Wins Acclaim for Offering Security for Free
CloudFlare, a major content delivery network, won praise for offering HTTPS encryption...+ Read more
Case Study
Apple Comes Under Fire After Siri Refuses to Provide Abortion Content
Apple came under fire from users and the press when it was discovered that Siri, the...+ Read more
Case Study
AT&T Faces the Music for Censoring Pearl Jam
Censoring the political speech of the popular rock band Pearl Jam landed AT&T in hot...+ Read more
Case Study
FCC Calls AT&T Out for Failure to Prevent Vendor Breach
The Federal Communications Commission held AT&T responsible for failing to protect...+ Read more
Case Study
Lookout Gets Shout-Out for Short-Form Mobile Privacy Policy Tool
Lookout, a mobile privacy and security startup, attracted lots of positive attention for...+ Read more
Case Study
Yelp’s Collection of Children’s Info Gets One-Star Review from the FTC
Yelp was investigated by the FTC , fined, and ordered to destroy its records after...+ Read more
Case Study
Qwest Resists Surveillance Efforts to Widespread Praise
Long before Edward Snowden leaked information about the NSA’s vast spying network, Qwest...+ Read more