News Byte

Android Flashlight-App Developer Settles FTC Privacy Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday that GoldenShores Technologies, maker of the Brightest Flashlight Free app for Android, had settled an FTC complaint that its privacy policy failed to disclose the collection and sharing of user data with third parties, such as ad networks. The FTC said the app has been downloaded tens of millions of times.

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FTC Probing Facebook’s New Privacy Policy

The new policy said that by signing up for Facebook, members — including minors — gave Facebook the right to use their personal data.

Google’s Local Business Is “Really Struggling,” in “Constant Chaos,” Yelp CEO Tells Charlie Rose (Video)

Jeremy Stoppelman fired the most recent shots in the long-standing Yelp-Google feud.

News Byte

FTC Finalizes Google Standards-Essential Patent Deal

The Federal Trade Commission today finalized its settlement with Google over the company’s alleged misuse of the standards-essential patents it gained as part of its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2011. The final order requires Google to license those standards-essential patents on fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms, and prevents the company from using them as a weapon against rivals by seeking product injunctions and importation bans based on them.

Europe Thinks Google Can Do Better on Search Concessions

Europe wants Eric Schmidt and company to do better.

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Apps for Kids Are Data Magnets; FTC Rules to Kick In

Some three years after the Wall Street Journal first tested data collection and sharing in smartphone apps — and discovered the majority of apps tested sending details to third parties without users’ awareness — the makers of widely used software continue to gather and profit from people’s personal information.

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Lose an Anti-Robocall Contest? One Solution: Annoy the Government.

At stake is a competition held by the Federal Trade Commission to design a better technology to combat telemarketers.

FTC Reviewing Google’s Waze Acquisition

Inevitable.

FTC Plans Patent-Troll Probe

Another important step toward patent reform.

News Byte

Yahoo Closes Tumblr Deal

Yahoo announced on Thursday morning that it had officially closed its acquisition of Tumblr, the massive blogging network with more than 110 million registered users. Yahoo reiterated that Tumblr will continue to operate as a separate, standalone business led by current CEO David Karp.