Tag: federal trade commission

Mobile games landscape set to shift in the US

| June 28, 2013

Federal law takes aim at mobile games

The mobile games space in the U.S. is slated for major changes at the beginning of next month. On July 1, 2013, the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) goes into effect. Through the law, the Federal Trade Commission will work to limit the risks that children are exposed to through mobile games and similar media platforms. One of the provisions of the law requires that all mobile developers acquire new privacy certifications from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

Developers pushed to take privacy more seriously

The ESRB’s Privacy Certified program has long existed to account for the privacy risks that are associated with certain forms of online media. The program exists primarily as a way to help app developers comply with COPPA’s stringent regulations. The program has been expanded to better serve the needs of developers of mobile games. The program offers security and privacy analysis for developers and offers them will a variety of solutions that could help them comply with federal law.

mobile games - privacy concerns Mobile games continue to raise privacy concerns

Mobile games have been gaining a significant amount of political attention in the U.S. due to the privacy concerns that have been raised concerning children. Mobile games are quite popular among young people, but these games do little to inform players that their personal information is being collected. Much of the issue lies in the fact that many mobile games do not even ask for approval to collect such information, which is then aggressively used for marketing and other such purposes.

Privacy is becoming a major issue in the US

Privacy has become a major issue in the U.S. and more industries are falling under harsh scrutiny when it comes to consumer information. Mobile games are not exempt from this, as they have long been the target of criticism when it comes to the issue of privacy and the wonton collection of data. Developers that wish to continue producing mobile games must soon take steps to comply with COPPA lest they find the U.S. market significantly more hostile in the immediate future.

Mobile payments security attracts attention of federal agency

| March 15, 2013

Mobile Security FTCSecurity of mobile payments questioned by FTC

Mobile payments are becoming all the rage around the world, but there are major security concerns  that have been gaining more attention in some countries. Mobile commerce is on the rise in the U.S., and while that means more consumers are becoming acclimated to mobile payments, it also means that malicious parties are beginning to target these consumers. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has released a new report highlighting the potential  threats that exist in the competitive world of mobile payments.

Report highlights threats of the mobile world

The report, entitled “Paper, Plastic, or Mobile?,” sheds light on the issue of mobile payments fraud in the U.S. The Federal Trade Commission has drawn upon the vast amount of information it has received from companies and organizations heavily invested in the mobile commerce industry for the report. The report also contains the concerns that consumers have raised over the issue of mobile security and commerce, with fraud and identity theft being among the most worrisome of issues.

Security lax when it comes to mobile commerce

The report notes that the concept of mobile payments has been a very attractive prospect for years. Despite the anticipation surrounding mobile payments, however, relatively little has been done to ensure the security of mobile commerce. The Federal Trade Commission suggests that there are various ways in which a consumer’s financial information can be stolen and exploited and that some of the security issues that consumers face are inherent in many of the most popular mobile commerce platforms.

Credit cards considered most secure option for consumers

While the report suggests that mobile payments are very effective for purposes such as bill payments and shopping, the Federal Trade Commission remains unconvinced that mobile devices like smartphones and tablets provide enough security to make mobile payments feasible. The agency claims that credit cards offer the strongest security for consumers, especially when it comes to the matter of fraud.