FTC Clears Amazon.com in Privacy Flap
Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. did not violate federal law when it altered its privacy practices to allow the sharing of its customer list with other businesses, the The Federal Trade Commission ruled Friday, according to Reuters.
Seattle, WA-based Amazon altered its data-privacy policy last September to allow it to share customer data such as names and e-mail addresses with other companies, unless a customer specifically requested otherwise.
Amazon’s earlier privacy policy stated that it did not share personal data, but gave consumers the choice of opting out of any data-sharing should it occur in the future.
Privacy groups Junkbusters Corp. and the Electronic Privacy Information Center petitioned the FTC in December to determine if the switch violated a federal law prohibiting deceptive or unfair trade practices, and bar the company from sharing information about customers who had asked to be left off their lists.
EPIC president Marc Rotenberg said his group might file a suit or appeal to Congress to further pursue the matter.
